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Genesis 41:41-50:26
New King James Version
Genesis 41:41-50:26
New King James Version
41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have (A)set you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 Then Pharaoh (B)took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he (C)clothed him in garments of fine linen (D)and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in the second (E)chariot which he had; (F)and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him (G)over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name [a]Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife (H)Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he (I)stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth [b]abundantly. 48 So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. 49 Joseph gathered very much grain, (J)as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.
50 (K)And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn [c]Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my (L)father’s house.” 52 And the name of the second he called [d]Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be (M)fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, 54 (N)and the seven years of famine began to come, (O)as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; (P)whatever he says to you, do.” 56 The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened [e]all the storehouses and (Q)sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. 57 (R)So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to (S)buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
42 When (T)Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may (U)live and not die.”
3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, (V)“Lest some calamity befall him.” 5 And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was (W)in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was governor (X)over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and (Y)bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as (Z)a stranger to them and spoke [f]roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?”
And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”
8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph (AA)remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the [g]nakedness of the land!”
10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”
12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
13 And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one (AB)is no more.”
14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ 15 In this manner you shall be tested: (AC)By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be [h]kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” 17 So he [i]put them all together in prison (AD)three days.
18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, (AE)for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And (AF)bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.”
And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, (AG)“We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; (AH)therefore this distress has come upon us.”
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, (AI)“Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now (AJ)required of us.” 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself away from them and (AK)wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took (AL)Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
The Brothers Return to Canaan
25 Then Joseph (AM)gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to (AN)restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. (AO)Thus he did for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. 27 But as (AP)one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. 28 So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts [j]failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: 30 “The man who is lord of the land (AQ)spoke [k]roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, (AR)‘By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. 34 And bring your (AS)youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may (AT)trade in the land.’ ”
35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly (AU)each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have (AV)bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take (AW)Benjamin. All these things are against me.”
37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”
38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for (AX)his brother is dead, and he is left alone. (AY)If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would (AZ)bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”
Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin
43 Now the famine was (BA)severe in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go (BB)back, buy us a little food.”
3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your (BC)brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”
6 And Israel said, “Why did you deal so [l]wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”
7 But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may (BD)live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. (BE)If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”
11 And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and (BF)carry down a present for the man—a little (BG)balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money (BH)that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And may God (BI)Almighty (BJ)give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. (BK)If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”
15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went (BL)down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the (BM)steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter [m]an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.” 17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18 Now the men were (BN)afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may [n]make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”
19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “O sir, (BO)we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21 but (BP)it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23 But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought (BQ)Simeon out to them.
24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and (BR)gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and (BS)bowed down before him to the earth. 27 Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man (BT)of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” (BU)And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.
29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, (BV)his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother (BW)of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Now (BX)his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and (BY)wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the (BZ)bread.”
32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the (CA)Hebrews, for that is (CB)an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his (CC)birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was (CD)five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
Joseph’s Cup
44 And he commanded [o]the (CE)steward of his house, saying, (CF)“Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. 2 Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you (CG)repaid evil for good? 5 Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”
6 So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. 7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. 8 Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan (CH)the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, (CI)let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
10 And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” 11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. 12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and [p]left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they (CJ)tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they (CK)fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”
16 Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has (CL)found out the iniquity of your servants; here (CM)we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”
17 But he said, (CN)“Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Judah Intercedes for Benjamin
18 Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and (CO)do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and (CP)a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is (CQ)dead, and he (CR)alone is left of his mother’s children, and his (CS)father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, (CT)‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 But you said to your servants, (CU)‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’
24 “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. 25 And (CV)our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that (CW)my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one went out from me, and I said, (CX)“Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. 29 But if you (CY)take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’
30 “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since (CZ)his life is bound up in the lad’s life, 31 it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, (DA)‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 Now therefore, please (DB)let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would [q]come upon my father?”
Joseph Revealed to His Brothers
45 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him (DC)while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he (DD)wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.
3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, (DE)“I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, (DF)whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; (DG)for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the (DH)famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God (DI)sent me before you to preserve a [r]posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but (DJ)God; and He has made me (DK)a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a (DL)ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not [s]tarry. 10 (DM)You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will (DN)provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’
12 “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is (DO)my mouth that speaks to you. 13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and (DP)bring my father down here.”
14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 Moreover he (DQ)kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat (DR)the [t]fat of the land. 19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. 20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them (DS)carts,[u] according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave to all of them, to each man, (DT)changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and (DU)five changes of garments. 23 And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”
25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” (DV)And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit (DW)of Jacob their father revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Jacob’s Journey to Egypt(DX)
46 So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to (DY)Beersheba, and offered sacrifices (DZ)to the God of his father Isaac. 2 Then God spoke to Israel (EA)in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
3 So He said, “I am God, (EB)the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will (EC)make of you a great nation there. 4 (ED)I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely (EE)bring you up again; and (EF)Joseph [v]will put his hand on your eyes.”
5 Then (EG)Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the [w]carts (EH)which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, (EI)Jacob and all his descendants with him. 7 His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.
8 Now (EJ)these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: (EK)Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. 9 The (EL)sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 (EM)The sons of Simeon were [x]Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, [y]Jachin, [z]Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of (EN)Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of (EO)Judah were (EP)Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). (EQ)The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, [aa]Puvah, [ab]Job, and Shimron. 14 The (ER)sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These were the (ES)sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three.
16 The sons of Gad were [ac]Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, [ad]Ezbon, Eri, [ae]Arodi, and Areli. 17 (ET)The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. 18 (EU)These were the sons of Zilpah, (EV)whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.
19 The (EW)sons of Rachel, (EX)Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. 20 (EY)And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 21 (EZ)The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, (FA)Ehi, Rosh, (FB)Muppim, [af]Huppim, and Ard. 22 These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.
23 The son of Dan was [ag]Hushim. 24 (FC)The sons of Naphtali were [ah]Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and [ai]Shillem. 25 (FD)These were the sons of Bilhah, (FE)whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.
26 (FF)All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, (FG)besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. (FH)All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.
Jacob Settles in Goshen
28 Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, (FI)to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came (FJ)to the land of Goshen. 29 So Joseph made ready his (FK)chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and (FL)fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.
30 And Israel said to Joseph, (FM)“Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, (FN)“I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the men are (FO)shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ 33 So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, (FP)‘What is your occupation?’ 34 that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ (FQ)occupation has been with livestock (FR)from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is (FS)an[aj] abomination to the Egyptians.”
Joseph Is Governor of Egypt
47 Then Joseph (FT)went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in (FU)the land of Goshen.” 2 And he took five men from among his brothers and (FV)presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, (FW)“What is your occupation?”
And they said to Pharaoh, (FX)“Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.” 4 And they said to Pharaoh, (FY)“We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, (FZ)for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants (GA)dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 (GB)The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell (GC)in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”
7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob (GD)blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, (GE)“The days of the years of my [ak]pilgrimage are (GF)one hundred and thirty years; (GG)few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and (GH)they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” 10 So Jacob (GI)blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11 And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of (GJ)Rameses, (GK)as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 Then Joseph provided (GL)his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.
Joseph Deals with the Famine
13 Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, (GM)so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 (GN)And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for (GO)why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.”
16 Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he [al]fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.
18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may (GP)live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.”
20 Then Joseph (GQ)bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 And as for the people, he [am]moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. 22 (GR)Only the land of the (GS)priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”
25 So they said, “You have saved (GT)our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” 26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, (GU)except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.
Joseph’s Vow to Jacob
27 So Israel (GV)dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and (GW)grew and multiplied exceedingly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years. 29 When the time (GX)drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, please (GY)put your hand under my thigh, and (GZ)deal kindly and truly with me. (HA)Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but (HB)let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and (HC)bury me in their burial place.”
And he said, “I will do as you have said.”
31 Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. So (HD)Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.
Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons(HE)
48 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, (HF)Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel [an]strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God (HG)Almighty appeared to me at (HH)Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will (HI)make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and (HJ)give this land to your descendants after you (HK)as an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your (HL)two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 Your [ao]offspring [ap]whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 But as for me, when I came from Padan, (HM)Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
8 Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.”
And he said, “Please bring them to me, and (HN)I will bless them.” 10 Now (HO)the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he (HP)kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, (HQ)“I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”
12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and (HR)laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, (HS)guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the (HT)firstborn. 15 And (HU)he blessed Joseph, and said:
“God, (HV)before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 The Angel (HW)who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
Let (HX)my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them (HY)grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 Now when Joseph saw that his father (HZ)laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, (IA)“I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly (IB)his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”
20 So he blessed them that day, saying, (IC)“By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but (ID)God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover (IE)I have given to you one [aq]portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand (IF)of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
49 And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may (IG)tell you what shall befall you (IH)in the last days:
2 “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob,
And listen to Israel your father.
3 “Reuben, you are (II)my firstborn,
My might and the beginning of my strength,
The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel,
Because you (IJ)went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—
He went up to my couch.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Instruments of [ar]cruelty are in their dwelling place.
6 (IK)Let not my soul enter their council;
Let not my honor be united (IL)to their assembly;
(IM)For in their anger they slew a man,
And in their self-will they [as]hamstrung an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel!
(IN)I will divide them in Jacob
And scatter them in Israel.
8 “Judah,(IO) you are he whom your brothers shall praise;
(IP)Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
(IQ)Your father’s children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is (IR)a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
(IS)He [at]bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 (IT)The [au]scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor (IU)a lawgiver from between his feet,
(IV)Until Shiloh comes;
(IW)And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
11 Binding his donkey to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
He washed his garments in wine,
And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
And his teeth whiter than milk.
13 “Zebulun(IX) shall dwell by the haven of the sea;
He shall become a haven for ships,
And his border shall (IY)adjoin Sidon.
14 “Issachar(IZ) is a strong donkey,
Lying down between two burdens;
15 He saw that rest was good,
And that the land was pleasant;
He bowed (JA)his shoulder to bear a burden,
And became a band of slaves.
16 “Dan(JB) shall judge his people
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 (JC)Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse’s heels
So that its rider shall fall backward.
18 (JD)I have waited for your salvation, O Lord!
20 “Bread from (JF)Asher shall be rich,
And he shall yield royal dainties.
21 “Naphtali(JG) is a deer let loose;
He uses beautiful words.
22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have (JH)bitterly grieved him,
Shot at him and hated him.
24 But his (JI)bow remained in strength,
And the arms of his hands were [ax]made strong
By the hands of (JJ)the Mighty God of Jacob
(JK)(From there (JL)is the Shepherd, (JM)the Stone of Israel),
25 (JN)By the God of your father who will help you,
(JO)And by the Almighty (JP)who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
(JQ)Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
(JR)They shall be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is a (JS)ravenous wolf;
In the morning he shall devour the prey,
(JT)And at night he shall divide the spoil.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.
Jacob’s Death and Burial
29 Then he charged them and said to them: “I (JU)am to be gathered to my people; (JV)bury me with my fathers (JW)in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, (JX)which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. 31 (JY)There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, (JZ)there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
Burial of Jacob
50 Then Joseph (KA)fell on his father’s face and (KB)wept over him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to (KC)embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians (KD)mourned[ay] for him seventy days.
4 Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to (KE)the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, 5 (KF)‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave (KG)which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’ ”
6 And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.
10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they (KH)mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. (KI)He observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called [az]Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
12 So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. 13 For (KJ)his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham (KK)bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, (KL)they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may [ba]actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” 16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; (KM)for they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of (KN)the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also went and (KO)fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19 Joseph said to them, (KP)“Do not be afraid, (KQ)for am I in the place of God? 20 (KR)But as for you, you meant evil against me; but (KS)God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; (KT)I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke [bb]kindly to them.
Death of Joseph(KU)
22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children (KV)to the third generation. (KW)The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, (KX)were also brought up on Joseph’s knees.
24 And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but (KY)God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land (KZ)of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then (LA)Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely [bc]visit you, and (LB)you shall carry up my (LC)bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes
- Genesis 41:45 Probably Egyptian for God Speaks and He Lives
- Genesis 41:47 Lit. by handfuls
- Genesis 41:51 Lit. Making Forgetful
- Genesis 41:52 Lit. Fruitfulness
- Genesis 41:56 Lit. all that was in them
- Genesis 42:7 harshly
- Genesis 42:9 Exposed parts
- Genesis 42:16 Lit. bound
- Genesis 42:17 Lit. gathered
- Genesis 42:28 sank
- Genesis 42:30 harshly
- Genesis 43:6 Lit. wickedly
- Genesis 43:16 Lit. a slaughter
- Genesis 43:18 Lit. roll himself upon us
- Genesis 44:1 Lit. the one over
- Genesis 44:12 finished with
- Genesis 44:34 Lit. find
- Genesis 45:7 remnant
- Genesis 45:9 delay
- Genesis 45:18 The choicest produce
- Genesis 45:21 wagons
- Genesis 46:4 Will close your eyes when you die
- Genesis 46:5 wagons
- Genesis 46:10 Nemuel, 1 Chr. 4:24
- Genesis 46:10 Jarib, 1 Chr. 4:24
- Genesis 46:10 Zerah, 1 Chr. 4:24
- Genesis 46:13 Puah, Num. 26:23; 1 Chr. 7:1
- Genesis 46:13 Jashub, Num. 26:24; 1 Chr. 7:1
- Genesis 46:16 Sam., LXX Zephon and Num. 26:15
- Genesis 46:16 Ozni, Num. 26:16
- Genesis 46:16 Arod, Num. 26:17
- Genesis 46:21 Hupham, Num. 26:39
- Genesis 46:23 Shuham, Num. 26:42
- Genesis 46:24 Jahziel, 1 Chr. 7:13
- Genesis 46:24 Shallum, 1 Chr. 7:13
- Genesis 46:34 loathsome
- Genesis 47:9 Lit. sojourning
- Genesis 47:17 supplied
- Genesis 47:21 So with MT, Tg.; Sam., LXX, Vg. made the people virtual slaves
- Genesis 48:2 Collected his strength
- Genesis 48:6 children
- Genesis 48:6 Who are born to you
- Genesis 48:22 Lit. shoulder
- Genesis 49:5 violence
- Genesis 49:6 lamed
- Genesis 49:9 couches
- Genesis 49:10 A symbol of kingship
- Genesis 49:19 Lit. Troop
- Genesis 49:19 Lit. raid
- Genesis 49:24 Or supple
- Genesis 50:3 Lit. wept
- Genesis 50:11 Lit. Mourning of Egypt
- Genesis 50:15 fully
- Genesis 50:21 Lit. to their hearts
- Genesis 50:25 give attention to
Genesis 41:41-49:12
New International Version
Genesis 41:41-49:12
New International Version
Joseph in Charge of Egypt
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”(A) 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring(B) from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes(C) of fine linen(D) and put a gold chain around his neck.(E) 43 He had him ride in a chariot(F) as his second-in-command,[a](G) and people shouted before him, “Make way[b]!”(H) Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.(I)
44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.”(J) 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph(K) the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest(L) of On,[c](M) to be his wife.(N) And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old(O) when he entered the service(P) of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance(Q) the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities.(R) In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea;(S) it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.(T) 51 Joseph named his firstborn(U) Manasseh[d](V) and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim[e](W) and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful(X) in the land of my suffering.”
53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine(Y) began,(Z) just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine,(AA) the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”(AB)
56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians,(AC) for the famine(AD) was severe throughout Egypt.(AE) 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph,(AF) because the famine was severe everywhere.(AG)
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt,(AH) he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” 2 He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us,(AI) so that we may live and not die.”(AJ)
3 Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain(AK) from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin,(AL) Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him.(AM) 5 So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain,(AN) for there was famine in the land of Canaan(AO) also.(AP)
6 Now Joseph was the governor of the land,(AQ) the person who sold grain to all its people.(AR) So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.(AS) 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.(AT) “Where do you come from?”(AU) he asked.
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.”
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.(AV) 9 Then he remembered his dreams(AW) about them and said to them, “You are spies!(AX) You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”(AY)
10 “No, my lord,(AZ)” they answered. “Your servants have come to buy food.(BA) 11 We are all the sons of one man. Your servants(BB) are honest men,(BC) not spies.(BD)”
12 “No!” he said to them. “You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”(BE)
13 But they replied, “Your servants(BF) were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan.(BG) The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”(BH)
14 Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies!(BI) 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives,(BJ) you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.(BK) 16 Send one of your number to get your brother;(BL) the rest of you will be kept in prison,(BM) so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth.(BN) If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!(BO)” 17 And he put them all in custody(BP) for three days.
18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:(BQ) 19 If you are honest men,(BR) let one of your brothers stay here in prison,(BS) while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households.(BT) 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me,(BU) so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.
21 They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother.(BV) We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress(BW) has come on us.”
22 Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?(BX) But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting(BY) for his blood.”(BZ) 23 They did not realize(CA) that Joseph could understand them,(CB) since he was using an interpreter.
24 He turned away from them and began to weep,(CC) but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.(CD)
25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain,(CE) to put each man’s silver back in his sack,(CF) and to give them provisions(CG) for their journey.(CH) After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys(CI) and left.
27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey,(CJ) and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack.(CK) 28 “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”
Their hearts sank(CL) and they turned to each other trembling(CM) and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”(CN)
29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan,(CO) they told him all that had happened to them.(CP) They said, 30 “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us(CQ) and treated us as though we were spying on the land.(CR) 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.(CS) 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’(CT)
33 “Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go.(CU) 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men.(CV) Then I will give your brother back to you,(CW) and you can trade[f] in the land.(CX)’”
35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver!(CY) When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened.(CZ) 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more,(DA) and now you want to take Benjamin.(DB) Everything is against me!(DC)”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care,(DD) and I will bring him back.”(DE)
38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead(DF) and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him(DG) on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave(DH) in sorrow.(DI)”
The Second Journey to Egypt
43 Now the famine was still severe in the land.(DJ) 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt,(DK) their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”(DL)
3 But Judah(DM) said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’(DN) 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you.(DO) 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.(DP)’”
6 Israel(DQ) asked, “Why did you bring this trouble(DR) on me by telling the man you had another brother?”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’(DS) he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’(DT) We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”(DU)
8 Then Judah(DV) said to Israel(DW) his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.(DX) 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him.(DY) If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame(DZ) before you all my life.(EA) 10 As it is, if we had not delayed,(EB) we could have gone and returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel(EC) said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products(ED) of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift(EE)—a little balm(EF) and a little honey, some spices(EG) and myrrh,(EH) some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount(EI) of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks.(EJ) Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.(EK) 14 And may God Almighty[g](EL) grant you mercy(EM) before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you.(EN) As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”(EO)
15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver,(EP) and Benjamin also. They hurried(EQ) down to Egypt and presented themselves(ER) to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin(ES) with them, he said to the steward of his house,(ET) “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal;(EU) they are to eat with me at noon.”
17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house.(EV) 18 Now the men were frightened(EW) when they were taken to his house.(EX) They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks(EY) the first time. He wants to attack us(EZ) and overpower us and seize us as slaves(FA) and take our donkeys.(FB)”
19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward(FC) and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20 “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food.(FD) 21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us.(FE) 22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”
23 “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father,(FF) has given you treasure in your sacks;(FG) I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.(FH)
24 The steward took the men into Joseph’s house,(FI) gave them water to wash their feet(FJ) and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25 They prepared their gifts(FK) for Joseph’s arrival at noon,(FL) because they had heard that they were to eat there.
26 When Joseph came home,(FM) they presented to him the gifts(FN) they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground.(FO) 27 He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father(FP) you told me about? Is he still living?”(FQ)
28 They replied, “Your servant our father(FR) is still alive and well.” And they bowed down,(FS) prostrating themselves before him.(FT)
29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son,(FU) he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?”(FV) And he said, “God be gracious to you,(FW) my son.” 30 Deeply moved(FX) at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept(FY) there.
31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself,(FZ) said, “Serve the food.”(GA)
32 They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews,(GB) for that is detestable to Egyptians.(GC) 33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn(GD) to the youngest;(GE) and they looked at each other in astonishment. 34 When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s.(GF) So they feasted(GG) and drank freely with him.
A Silver Cup in a Sack
44 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house:(GH) “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.(GI) 2 Then put my cup,(GJ) the silver one,(GK) in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.
3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.(GL) 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward,(GM) “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?(GN) 5 Isn’t this the cup(GO) my master drinks from and also uses for divination?(GP) This is a wicked thing you have done.’”
6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants(GQ) to do anything like that!(GR) 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan(GS) the silver(GT) we found inside the mouths of our sacks.(GU) So why would we steal(GV) silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If any of your servants(GW) is found to have it, he will die;(GX) and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.(GY)”
10 “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it(GZ) will become my slave;(HA) the rest of you will be free from blame.”(HB)
11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward(HC) proceeded to search,(HD) beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest.(HE) And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.(HF) 13 At this, they tore their clothes.(HG) Then they all loaded their donkeys(HH) and returned to the city.
14 Joseph was still in the house(HI) when Judah(HJ) and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.(HK) 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done?(HL) Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?(HM)”
16 “What can we say to my lord?(HN)” Judah(HO) replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence?(HP) God has uncovered your servants’(HQ) guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves(HR)—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.(HS)”
17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing!(HT) Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave.(HU) The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”(HV)
18 Then Judah(HW) went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,(HX) let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry(HY) with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants,(HZ) ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’(IA) 20 And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age.(IB) His brother is dead,(IC) and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’(ID)
21 “Then you said to your servants,(IE) ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’(IF) 22 And we said to my lord,(IG) ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’(IH) 23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’(II) 24 When we went back to your servant my father,(IJ) we told him what my lord(IK) had said.(IL)
25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’(IM) 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’(IN)
27 “Your servant my father(IO) said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.(IP) 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.”(IQ) And I have not seen him since.(IR) 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave(IS) in misery.’(IT)
30 “So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father,(IU) and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life,(IV) 31 sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die.(IW) Your servants(IX) will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave(IY) in sorrow. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’(IZ)
33 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave(JA) in place of the boy,(JB) and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery(JC) that would come on my father.”(JD)
Joseph Makes Himself Known
45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself(JE) before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!”(JF) So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept(JG) so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.(JH)
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”(JI) But his brothers were not able to answer him,(JJ) because they were terrified at his presence.(JK)
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”(JL) When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!(JM) 5 And now, do not be distressed(JN) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,(JO) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.(JP) 6 For two years now there has been famine(JQ) in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant(JR) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.[h](JS)
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.(JT) He made me father(JU) to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.(JV) 9 Now hurry(JW) back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay.(JX) 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen(JY) and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.(JZ) 11 I will provide for you there,(KA) because five years of famine(KB) are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’(KC)
12 “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin,(KD) that it is really I who am speaking to you.(KE) 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt(KF) and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.(KG)”
14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin(KH) embraced him,(KI) weeping. 15 And he kissed(KJ) all his brothers and wept over them.(KK) Afterward his brothers talked with him.(KL)
16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,(KM) Pharaoh and all his officials(KN) were pleased.(KO) 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals(KP) and return to the land of Canaan,(KQ) 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt(KR) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’(KS)
19 “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts(KT) from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never mind about your belongings,(KU) because the best of all Egypt(KV) will be yours.’”
21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,(KW) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.(KX) 22 To each of them he gave new clothing,(KY) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels[i] of silver and five sets of clothes.(KZ) 23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys(LA) loaded with the best things(LB) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.(LC) 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”(LD)
25 So they went up out of Egypt(LE) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.(LF) 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”(LG) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.(LH) 27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts(LI) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “I’m convinced!(LJ) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”(LK)
Jacob Goes to Egypt
46 So Israel(LL) set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba,(LM) he offered sacrifices(LN) to the God of his father Isaac.(LO)
2 And God spoke to Israel(LP) in a vision at night(LQ) and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,”(LR) he replied.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,”(LS) he said. “Do not be afraid(LT) to go down to Egypt,(LU) for I will make you into a great nation(LV) there.(LW) 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.(LX) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.(LY)”
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba,(LZ) and Israel’s(MA) sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts(MB) that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt,(MC) taking with them their livestock and the possessions(MD) they had acquired(ME) in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt(MF) his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.(MG)
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel(MH) (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:
Reuben the firstborn(MI) of Jacob.
9 The sons of Reuben:(MJ)
Hanok, Pallu,(MK) Hezron and Karmi.(ML)
10 The sons of Simeon:(MM)
Jemuel,(MN) Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar(MO) and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 The sons of Levi:(MP)
Gershon,(MQ) Kohath(MR) and Merari.(MS)
12 The sons of Judah:(MT)
Er,(MU) Onan,(MV) Shelah, Perez(MW) and Zerah(MX) (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).(MY)
The sons of Perez:(MZ)
Hezron and Hamul.(NA)
13 The sons of Issachar:(NB)
Tola, Puah,[j](NC) Jashub[k](ND) and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun:(NE)
Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[l](NF) besides his daughter Dinah.(NG) These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.
16 The sons of Gad:(NH)
Zephon,[m](NI) Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher:(NJ)
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.
Their sister was Serah.
The sons of Beriah:
Heber and Malkiel.
18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah,(NK) whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah(NL)—sixteen in all.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel:(NM)
Joseph and Benjamin.(NN) 20 In Egypt, Manasseh(NO) and Ephraim(NP) were born to Joseph(NQ) by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.[n](NR)
21 The sons of Benjamin:(NS)
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.(NT)
22 These were the sons of Rachel(NU) who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah,(NY) whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel(NZ)—seven in all.
26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.(OA) 27 With the two sons[o] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt,(OB) the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy[p] in all.(OC)
28 Now Jacob sent Judah(OD) ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen.(OE) When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot(OF) made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.(OG) As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[q] and wept(OH) for a long time.(OI)
30 Israel(OJ) said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”(OK)
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan,(OL) have come to me.(OM) 32 The men are shepherds;(ON) they tend livestock,(OO) and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’(OP) 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’(OQ) 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants(OR) have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’(OS) Then you will be allowed to settle(OT) in the region of Goshen,(OU) for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.(OV)”
47 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan(OW) and are now in Goshen.”(OX) 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them(OY) before Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”(OZ)
“Your servants(PA) are shepherds,(PB)” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,(PC) because the famine is severe in Canaan(PD) and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.(PE) So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”(PF)
5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle(PG) your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.(PH) Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability,(PI) put them in charge of my own livestock.(PJ)”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him(PK) before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[r] Pharaoh,(PL) 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.(PM) My years have been few and difficult,(PN) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.(PO)” 10 Then Jacob blessed[s] Pharaoh(PP) and went out from his presence.
11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land,(PQ) the district of Rameses,(PR) as Pharaoh directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.(PS)
Joseph and the Famine
13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.(PT) 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,(PU) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.(PV) 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,(PW) all Egypt came to Joseph(PX) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?(PY) Our money is all gone.”
16 “Then bring your livestock,(PZ)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.(QA)” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,(QB) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.(QC) And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone(QD) and our livestock belongs to you,(QE) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes(QF)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,(QG) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.(QH) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,(QI) and that the land may not become desolate.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe(QJ) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[t](QK) from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests,(QL) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment(QM) Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed(QN) for you so you can plant the ground.(QO) 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth(QP) of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”
25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord;(QQ) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”(QR)
26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth(QS) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.(QT)
27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.(QU) They acquired property there(QV) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.(QW)
28 Jacob lived in Egypt(QX) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.(QY) 29 When the time drew near for Israel(QZ) to die,(RA) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(RB) put your hand under my thigh(RC) and promise that you will show me kindness(RD) and faithfulness.(RE) Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers,(RF) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”(RG)
“I will do as you say,” he said.
31 “Swear to me,”(RH) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,(RI) and Israel(RJ) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[u](RK)
Manasseh and Ephraim
48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim(RL) along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel(RM) rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[v](RN) appeared to me at Luz(RO) in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me(RP) 4 and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers.(RQ) I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land(RR) as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’(RS)
5 “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt(RT) before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,(RU) just as Reuben(RV) and Simeon(RW) are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan,[w](RX) to my sorrow(RY) Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).(RZ)
8 When Israel(SA) saw the sons of Joseph,(SB) he asked, “Who are these?”
9 “They are the sons God has given me here,”(SC) Joseph said to his father.
Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless(SD) them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.(SE) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them(SF) and embraced them.(SG)
11 Israel(SH) said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,(SI) and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”(SJ)
12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees(SK) and bowed down with his face to the ground.(SL) 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand,(SM) and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel(SN) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,(SO) though he was the younger,(SP) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.(SQ)
15 Then he blessed(SR) Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,(SS)
the God who has been my shepherd(ST)
all my life to this day,
16 the Angel(SU) who has delivered me from all harm(SV)
—may he bless(SW) these boys.(SX)
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(SY)
and may they increase greatly
on the earth.”(SZ)
17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand(TA) on Ephraim’s head(TB) he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”(TC)
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.(TD) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,(TE) and his descendants will become a group of nations.(TF)” 20 He blessed(TG) them that day(TH) and said,
“In your[x] name will Israel(TI) pronounce this blessing:(TJ)
‘May God make you like Ephraim(TK) and Manasseh.(TL)’”
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you[y](TM) and take you[z] back to the land of your[aa] fathers.(TN) 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[ab](TO) than to your brothers,(TP) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword(TQ) and my bow.”
Jacob Blesses His Sons(TR)
49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.(TS)
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,(TV)
my might, the first sign of my strength,(TW)
excelling in honor,(TX) excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters,(TY) you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.(TZ)
5 “Simeon(UA) and Levi(UB) are brothers—
their swords[ac] are weapons of violence.(UC)
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,(UD)
for they have killed men in their anger(UE)
and hamstrung(UF) oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury,(UG) so cruel!(UH)
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.(UI)
8 “Judah,[ad](UJ) your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck(UK) of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.(UL)
9 You are a lion’s(UM) cub,(UN) Judah;(UO)
you return from the prey,(UP) my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,(UQ)
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[ae]
until he to whom it belongs[af] shall come(UR)
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.(US)
11 He will tether his donkey(UT) to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;(UU)
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.(UV)
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.[ag](UW)
Footnotes
- Genesis 41:43 Or in the chariot of his second-in-command; or in his second chariot
- Genesis 41:43 Or Bow down
- Genesis 41:45 That is, Heliopolis; also in verse 50
- Genesis 41:51 Manasseh sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for forget.
- Genesis 41:52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for twice fruitful.
- Genesis 42:34 Or move about freely
- Genesis 43:14 Hebrew El-Shaddai
- Genesis 45:7 Or save you as a great band of survivors
- Genesis 45:22 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
- Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Puvah
- Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Num. 26:24 and 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Iob
- Genesis 46:15 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 46:16 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 26:15); Masoretic Text Ziphion
- Genesis 46:20 That is, Heliopolis
- Genesis 46:27 Hebrew; Septuagint the nine children
- Genesis 46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5 and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five
- Genesis 46:29 Hebrew around him
- Genesis 47:7 Or greeted
- Genesis 47:10 Or said farewell to
- Genesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities
- Genesis 47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed
- Genesis 48:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
- Genesis 48:7 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 48:20 The Hebrew is singular.
- Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
- Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
- Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
- Genesis 48:22 The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem.
- Genesis 49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
- Genesis 49:10 Or from his descendants
- Genesis 49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Genesis 49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.