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Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

47 Then (A)Joseph went in and told Pharaoh and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of (B)Goshen.” And he took five men from among his brothers and (C)set them before Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “(D)What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are (E)shepherds, both we and our fathers.” And they said to Pharaoh, “(F)We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for (G)the famine is heavy in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants [a](H)live in the land of Goshen.” Then Pharaoh said to [b]Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is [c]at your disposal; have your father and your brothers settle in (I)the best of the land, let them settle in the land of Goshen; and if you know any (J)excellent men among them, then [d]put them in charge of my livestock.”

Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and stood him before Pharaoh; and Jacob (K)blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days (L)of the years of my sojourning are [e]130; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not [f]attained to (M)the days of the years [g]that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.” 10 And Jacob (N)blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in (O)the best of the land, in the land of (P)Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph (Q)provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with [h]food, according to their little ones.

Joseph and the Famine

13 Now there was no [i]food in all the land because the famine was very heavy, so that (R)the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 (S)And Joseph gathered 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 Then the money came to an end in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan. So all the Egyptians came to Joseph [j]and said, “Give us [k]food, for (T)why should we die in your presence? For our money [l]is gone.” 16 Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money [m]is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them [n]food in exchange for the horses and the [o]flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he [p]fed them with [q]food in exchange for all their livestock [r]that year. 18 Then that year came to an end. And they came to him the [s]next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money has come to an end, and the [t]livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left [u]for my lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for [v]food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for [w]every Egyptian sold his field because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they ate off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. 24 And it will be, at the harvest you shall give a (U)fifth to Pharaoh, and [x]four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.” 25 So they said, “You have kept us alive! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26 And Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; (V)only the land of the priests [y]did not become Pharaoh’s.

27 Now Israel [z]lived in the land of Egypt, [aa]in Goshen, and they (W)took possession of property in it and (X)were fruitful and became very numerous. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt (Y)seventeen years; so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

29 Then (Z)the days for Israel to die drew near, and he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, (AA)place now your hand under my thigh and (AB)deal with me in lovingkindness and truth. Please do not bury me in Egypt. 30 But I will (AC)lie down with my fathers, and you will carry me out of Egypt and bury me in (AD)their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.” 31 Then he said, “(AE)Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then (AF)Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 47:4 Lit dwell
  2. Genesis 47:5 Lit Joseph, saying
  3. Genesis 47:6 Lit before you
  4. Genesis 47:6 Lit appoint them rulers
  5. Genesis 47:9 Lit 130 years
  6. Genesis 47:9 Lit reached
  7. Genesis 47:9 Lit of the life of my fathers
  8. Genesis 47:12 Or bread
  9. Genesis 47:13 Or bread
  10. Genesis 47:15 Lit saying
  11. Genesis 47:15 Or bread
  12. Genesis 47:15 Lit ceases
  13. Genesis 47:16 Lit ceases
  14. Genesis 47:17 Or bread
  15. Genesis 47:17 Lit livestock of the flocks and livestock of the herds
  16. Genesis 47:17 Lit led them as a shepherd
  17. Genesis 47:17 Or bread
  18. Genesis 47:17 Lit in that year
  19. Genesis 47:18 Lit second
  20. Genesis 47:18 Lit livestock of the cattle
  21. Genesis 47:18 Lit in the presence of
  22. Genesis 47:19 Or bread
  23. Genesis 47:20 Lit Egypt, every man
  24. Genesis 47:24 Lit four parts
  25. Genesis 47:26 Lit alone did
  26. Genesis 47:27 Lit dwelt
  27. Genesis 47:27 Lit in the land of Goshen

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(A) and are now in Goshen.”(B) He chose five of his brothers and presented them(C) before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”(D)

“Your servants(E) are shepherds,(F)” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,(G) because the famine is severe in Canaan(H) and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.(I) So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”(J)

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle(K) your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.(L) Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability,(M) put them in charge of my own livestock.(N)

Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him(O) before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[a] Pharaoh,(P) Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.(Q) My years have been few and difficult,(R) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.(S) 10 Then Jacob blessed[b] Pharaoh(T) 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,(U) the district of Rameses,(V) 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.(W)

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.(X) 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,(Y) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.(Z) 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,(AA) all Egypt came to Joseph(AB) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?(AC) Our money is all gone.”

16 “Then bring your livestock,(AD)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.(AE) 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,(AF) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.(AG) 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(AH) and our livestock belongs to you,(AI) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes(AJ)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,(AK) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.(AL) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,(AM) 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(AN) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[c](AO) from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests,(AP) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment(AQ) 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(AR) for you so you can plant the ground.(AS) 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth(AT) 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;(AU) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”(AV)

26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth(AW) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.(AX)

27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.(AY) They acquired property there(AZ) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.(BA)

28 Jacob lived in Egypt(BB) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.(BC) 29 When the time drew near for Israel(BD) to die,(BE) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(BF) put your hand under my thigh(BG) and promise that you will show me kindness(BH) and faithfulness.(BI) Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers,(BJ) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”(BK)

“I will do as you say,” he said.

31 “Swear to me,”(BL) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,(BM) and Israel(BN) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[d](BO)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 47:7 Or greeted
  2. Genesis 47:10 Or said farewell to
  3. Genesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities
  4. Genesis 47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed