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Genesis 46-47
GOD’S WORD Translation
Genesis 46-47
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jacob’s [Israel’s] Seventh Encounter with God
46 Israel moved with all he had. When he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2 God spoke to Israel in a vision that night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt, because I will make you a great nation there. 4 I will go with you to Egypt, and I will make sure you come back again. Joseph will close your eyes ⌞when you die⌟.”
5 So Jacob left Beersheba. Israel’s sons put their father Jacob, their children, and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to bring him back. 6 They also took their livestock and the possessions they had accumulated in Canaan.
Jacob and all his family arrived in Egypt. 7 He had brought his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters—his entire family.
Jacob’s [Israel’s] Descendants(A)
8 These are the names of Israel’s descendants (Jacob and his descendants) who arrived in Egypt.
Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn.
9 The sons of Reuben were
Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 The sons of Simeon were
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 The sons of Levi were
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 The sons of Judah were
Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (Er and Onan had died in Canaan.)
The sons of Perez were
Hezron and Hamul.
13 The sons of Issachar were
Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun were
Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These were the descendants of the sons Leah gave to Jacob in Paddan Aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of these sons and daughters was 33.
16 The sons of Gad were
Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher were
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was Serah.
The sons of Beriah were
Heber and Malchiel.
18 These were the descendants of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. She gave birth to these children for Jacob. The total was 16.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were
Joseph and Benjamin.
20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest from the city of On.
21 The sons of Benjamin were
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22 These were the descendants of Rachel who were born to Jacob. The total was 14.
23 The son of Dan was
Hushim.
24 The sons of Naphtali were
Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These were the descendants of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. She gave birth to these sons for Jacob. The total was 7.
26 The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went with him to Egypt was 66. This didn’t include the wives of Jacob’s sons. 27 Joseph had two sons who were born in Egypt. The grand total of people in Jacob’s household who went to Egypt was 70.
Joseph and Jacob [Israel] Reunited
28 Israel sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Israel’s family arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his father Israel. As soon as he saw his father, he threw his arms around him and cried on his shoulder a long time.
30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now that I’ve seen for myself that you’re still alive, I’m ready to die.”
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s family, “I’m going to Pharaoh to tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, who were in Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds. They take care of livestock. They’ve brought their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 Now, when Pharaoh calls for you and asks, ‘What kind of work do you do?’ 34 you must answer, ‘We have taken care of herds all our lives, as our ancestors have done.’ ⌞You must say this⌟ so that you may live in the region of Goshen, because all shepherds are disgusting to Egyptians.”
Jacob [Israel] Meets Pharaoh
47 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers have arrived from Canaan with their flocks, herds, and everything they have. Now they are in Goshen.” 2 Since he had taken five of his brothers with him, he presented them to Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What kind of work do you do?”
They answered Pharaoh, “We are shepherds, as were our ancestors. 4 We have come to live in this land for a while. The famine is so severe in Canaan that there’s no pasture for our flocks. So please let us live in Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 All of Egypt is available to you. Have your father and your brothers live in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. If they are qualified, put them in charge of my livestock.”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and had him stand in front of Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”
9 Jacob answered Pharaoh, “The length of my stay on earth has been 130 years. The years of my life have been few and difficult, fewer than my ancestors’ years.” 10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left.
11 As Pharaoh had ordered, Joseph had his father and his brothers live in the best part of Egypt, the region of Rameses. He gave them property there. 12 Joseph also provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s family with food based on the number of children they had.
Joseph Acquires All the Land in Egypt for Pharaoh
13 The famine was so severe that there was no food anywhere. Neither Egypt nor Canaan were producing crops because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that could be found in Egypt and in Canaan as payment for the grain people bought. Then he took it to Pharaoh’s palace. 15 When the money in Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Give us food,” they said. “Do you want us to die right in front of you? We don’t have any more money!”
16 Joseph replied, “If you don’t have any more money, give me your livestock, and I’ll give you food [a] in exchange.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. During that year he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the next year. “Sir,” they said to him, “you know that our money is gone, and you have all our livestock. There’s nothing left to bring you except our bodies and our land. 19 Do you want us to die right in front of you? Do you want the land to be ruined? Take us and our land in exchange for food. Then we will be Pharaoh’s slaves and our land will be his property. But give us seed so that we won’t starve to death and the ground won’t become a desert.”
20 Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. Every Egyptian sold his fields because the famine was so severe. The land became Pharaoh’s. 21 All over Egypt Joseph moved the people to the cities. 22 But he didn’t buy the priests’ land because the priests received an income from Pharaoh, and they lived on that income. That’s why they didn’t sell their land.
23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Plant crops in the land. 24 Every time you harvest, give one-fifth of the produce to Pharaoh. Four-fifths will be yours to use as seed for your fields and as food for your households.”
25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “Please, sir, we are willing to be Pharaoh’s slaves.”
26 Joseph made a law concerning the land in Egypt which is still in force today: One-fifth ⌞of the produce⌟ belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests didn’t belong to Pharaoh.
Jacob’s [Israel’s] Last Days in Egypt
27 So the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and had many children.
28 Jacob lived in Egypt 17 years, so he lived a total of 147 years. 29 Israel was about to die. He called for his son Joseph and said to him, “I want you to swear that you love me and are faithful to me. Please don’t bury me here. 30 I want to rest with my ancestors. Take me out of Egypt, and bury me in their tomb.”
“I will do as you say,” Joseph answered.
31 “Swear to me,” he said. So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed down in prayer with his face at the head of his bed.
Footnotes
- 47:16 Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek, Targum; Masoretic Text “I’ll give to you.”
Genesis 46-47
New International Version
Genesis 46-47
New International Version
Jacob Goes to Egypt
46 So Israel(A) set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba,(B) he offered sacrifices(C) to the God of his father Isaac.(D)
2 And God spoke to Israel(E) in a vision at night(F) and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,”(G) he replied.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,”(H) he said. “Do not be afraid(I) to go down to Egypt,(J) for I will make you into a great nation(K) there.(L) 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.(M) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.(N)”
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba,(O) and Israel’s(P) sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts(Q) that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt,(R) taking with them their livestock and the possessions(S) they had acquired(T) in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt(U) his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.(V)
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel(W) (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:
Reuben the firstborn(X) of Jacob.
9 The sons of Reuben:(Y)
Hanok, Pallu,(Z) Hezron and Karmi.(AA)
10 The sons of Simeon:(AB)
Jemuel,(AC) Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar(AD) and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 The sons of Levi:(AE)
Gershon,(AF) Kohath(AG) and Merari.(AH)
12 The sons of Judah:(AI)
Er,(AJ) Onan,(AK) Shelah, Perez(AL) and Zerah(AM) (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).(AN)
The sons of Perez:(AO)
Hezron and Hamul.(AP)
13 The sons of Issachar:(AQ)
Tola, Puah,[a](AR) Jashub[b](AS) and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun:(AT)
Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[c](AU) besides his daughter Dinah.(AV) These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.
16 The sons of Gad:(AW)
Zephon,[d](AX) Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher:(AY)
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,(AZ) whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah(BA)—sixteen in all.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel:(BB)
Joseph and Benjamin.(BC) 20 In Egypt, Manasseh(BD) and Ephraim(BE) were born to Joseph(BF) by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.[e](BG)
21 The sons of Benjamin:(BH)
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.(BI)
22 These were the sons of Rachel(BJ) who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah,(BN) whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel(BO)—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.(BP) 27 With the two sons[f] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt,(BQ) the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy[g] in all.(BR)
28 Now Jacob sent Judah(BS) ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen.(BT) When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot(BU) made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.(BV) As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[h] and wept(BW) for a long time.(BX)
30 Israel(BY) said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”(BZ)
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,(CA) have come to me.(CB) 32 The men are shepherds;(CC) they tend livestock,(CD) and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’(CE) 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’(CF) 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants(CG) have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’(CH) Then you will be allowed to settle(CI) in the region of Goshen,(CJ) for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.(CK)”
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(CL) and are now in Goshen.”(CM) 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them(CN) before Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”(CO)
“Your servants(CP) are shepherds,(CQ)” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,(CR) because the famine is severe in Canaan(CS) and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.(CT) So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”(CU)
5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle(CV) your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.(CW) Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability,(CX) put them in charge of my own livestock.(CY)”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him(CZ) before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[i] Pharaoh,(DA) 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.(DB) My years have been few and difficult,(DC) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.(DD)” 10 Then Jacob blessed[j] Pharaoh(DE) 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,(DF) the district of Rameses,(DG) 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.(DH)
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.(DI) 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,(DJ) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.(DK) 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,(DL) all Egypt came to Joseph(DM) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?(DN) Our money is all gone.”
16 “Then bring your livestock,(DO)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.(DP)” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,(DQ) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.(DR) 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(DS) and our livestock belongs to you,(DT) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes(DU)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,(DV) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.(DW) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,(DX) 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(DY) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[k](DZ) from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests,(EA) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment(EB) 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(EC) for you so you can plant the ground.(ED) 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth(EE) 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;(EF) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”(EG)
26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth(EH) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.(EI)
27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.(EJ) They acquired property there(EK) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.(EL)
28 Jacob lived in Egypt(EM) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.(EN) 29 When the time drew near for Israel(EO) to die,(EP) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(EQ) put your hand under my thigh(ER) and promise that you will show me kindness(ES) and faithfulness.(ET) Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers,(EU) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”(EV)
“I will do as you say,” he said.
31 “Swear to me,”(EW) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,(EX) and Israel(EY) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[l](EZ)
Footnotes
- 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
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