In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

“Assemble and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.

He asked them how they were doing. ¹  Then he said, “Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?”

Look at Abraham, your father, and Sarah, who gave you birth. ¹  When I summoned him, he was a lone individual, ²  but I blessed him ³  and gave him numerous descendants. ⁴ 

Get your father and your households and come to me! Then I will give you ¹  the best land in Egypt and you will eat ²  the best ³  of the land.’

You are also commanded to say, ¹  ‘Do this: Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives. Bring your father and come.

I have ¹  the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful ²  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ ³ 

They replied, “The man questioned us ¹  thoroughly ²  about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ ³  So we answered him in this way. ⁴  How could we possibly know ⁵  that he would say, ⁶  ‘Bring your brother down’?”

“Everything is fine,” ¹  the man in charge of Joseph’s household told them. “Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. ²  I had your money.” ³  Then he brought Simeon out to them.

But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of ¹  you may go back ²  to your father in peace.”

but I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates ¹  and brought him into ²  the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous; I gave him Isaac,

Then Jeremiah spoke to the Rechabite community, “The Lord God of Israel who rules over all ¹  says, ‘You have obeyed the orders of your ancestor Jonadab. You have followed all his instructions. You have done exactly as he commanded you.’