Genesis 47

1Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” 2He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

3Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”

“Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”

5Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

7Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed#47:7 Or greeted Pharaoh, 8Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

9And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” 10Then Jacob blessed#47:10 Or said farewell to Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

11So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. 12Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.

Joseph and the Famine

13There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace. 15When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.”

16“Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” 17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.

18When 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 and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”

20So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,#47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities from one end of Egypt to the other. 22However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

23Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24But when the crop comes in, give a fifth 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; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”

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

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

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

“I will do as you say,” he said.

31“Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.#47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed

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Genesis 47

Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

1Then 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 Goshen.” 2And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. 3Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.” 4They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to reside in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.” 5Then Pharaoh said to #47:5 Lit Joseph, sayingJoseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6The land of Egypt is #47:6 Lit before youat your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then #47:6 Lit appoint them rulersput them in charge of my livestock.”

7Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and #47:7 Lit set him beforepresented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many #47:8 Lit are the days of the years of your lifeyears have you lived?” 9So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The #47:9 Lit days of the yearsyears of my living abroad are #47:9 Lit 130 years130; few and #47:9 Lit evilunpleasant have been the #47:9 Lit days of the yearsyears of my life, nor have they #47:9 Lit reachedattained the #47:9 Lit days of the yearsyears #47:9 Lit of the life of my fathersthat my fathers lived during the days of their living abroad.” 10So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from #47:10 Lit Pharaoh’shis presence. 11Now Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. 12Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with #47:12 Or breadfood, according to the #47:12 Lit mouthnumber of their little ones.

13Now there was no #47:13 Or breadfood in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14And Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in payment for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph saying, “Give us #47:15 Or breadfood, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is #47:15 Lit at an endgone.” 16Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is #47:16 Lit at an endgone.” 17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them #47:17 Or breadfood in exchange for the horses and the #47:17 Lit livestock of the flocks and livestock of the herdsflocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he #47:17 Lit led them as a shepherdfed them with #47:17 Or breadfood in exchange for all their livestock #47:17 Lit in that yearthat year. 18But when that year ended, they came to him the #47:18 Lit secondnext year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord the fact that our money is all spent, and the #47:18 Lit livestock of the cattlelivestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left #47:18 Lit in the presence offor my lord except our bodies and our lands. 19Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for #47:19 Or breadfood, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

Result of the Famine

20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for #47:20 Lit Egypt, every manevery Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21As for the people, he relocated them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other. 22Only the land of the priests he did not buy, because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they #47:22 Lit ate their allotmentlived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. 23Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, today I have purchased you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. 24#47:24 Lit It shall come about...that you shallAt the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and #47:24 Lit four partsfour-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.” 25So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, valid to this day, that Pharaoh was to have the fifth; only the land of the priests #47:26 Lit alone diddid not become Pharaoh’s.

27Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in #47:27 Lit the land of GoshenGoshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous. 28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years; so the #47:28 Lit days of Jacob, the years of his lifelength of Jacob’s life was 147 years.

29When #47:29 Lit the days of Israelthe time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place your hand under my thigh now and deal with me in kindness and #47:29 Lit truthfaithfulness: please do not bury me in Egypt, 30but when I #47:30 I.e., dielie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.” 31And he said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

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