Genesis 46

CHAPTER 46

1And Israel went forth with all things that he had, and he came to the well of oath or Beersheba; and when sacrifices were slain there to [the] God of his father Isaac,

2he heard God by a vision in that night calling to him, and saying to him, Jacob! Jacob! To whom he answered, Lo! I am present.

3God said to him, I am the full strong God of thy father; do not thou dread, go down into Egypt, for I shall make thee there into a great folk;

4I shall go down thither with thee, and I shall bring thee turning again from thence, and Joseph shall set his hand on thine eyes.

5Jacob rose from the well of oath, and his sons took him, with their little children, and wives, in the wains which Pharaoh had sent to bear the eld [or old] man,

6and all things which he wielded in the land of Canaan; and he came into Egypt with [all] his seed,

7his sons, and their sons, and daughters, and all the generations together.

8Forsooth these be the names of the sons of Israel, that entered into Egypt; Jacob with his free children. The first begotten is Reuben;

9the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.

10The sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a woman of Canaan.

11The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zarah. Forsooth Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan; and the sons of Perez were born, Hezron, and Hamul.

13The sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.

14The sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.

15These be the sons of Leah, which she childed to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, with Dinah, her daughter; all the souls of his sons and daughters by Leah, three and thirty.

16The sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.

17The sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah; and Serah, the sister of them. The sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.

18These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his daughter, and through whom Jacob begat these sixteen persons.

19The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin.

20And two sons were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath, [the] daughter of Potipherah, priest of Heliopolis, childed to him.

21The sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, and Ehi, and Rosh, and Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

22These were the sons of Rachel, the which Jacob begat through her; all the persons were fourteen.

23The son of Dan; Hushim.

24The sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.

25These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. And Jacob begat these through Bilhah; all the souls were seven.

26And all the men that entered with Jacob into Egypt, and went out of his thigh, without his sons’ wives, were sixty and six.

27Forsooth the sons of Joseph, that were born to him in the land of Egypt, were two men. All the souls of the house of Jacob, that entered into Egypt, were seventy.

28Forsooth Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph, that he should tell to him, and he meet with them in Goshen. And when Jacob had come thither,

29Joseph went up in his chariot to meet his father at the same place. And he saw Jacob, and felled on his neck, and wept betwixt embraces.

30And the father said to Joseph, Now I shall die joyful, for I have seen thy face, and I leave thee living.

31And Joseph spake to his brethren, and to all his father’s household, I shall go up, and tell to Pharaoh, and I shall say to him, My brethren, and the household of my father, that were in the land of Canaan, be come to me,

32and they be men keepers of sheep, and have busyness of flocks to be fed; they brought with them their sheep, and great beasts, and all things which they might have.

33And when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your work?

34ye shall answer, We be thy servants, men shepherds, from our childhood till into this present time, both we and our fathers. Soothly ye shall say these things, that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen, for Egyptians loathe all keepers of sheep.

Learn More About Wycliffe's Bible with Modern Spelling

Genesis 46

1So Israel set out on the journey with everything he owned. He arrived at Beersheba and worshiped, offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

2God spoke to Israel in a vision that night: “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Yes?” he said. “I’m listening.”

3-4God said, “I am the God of your father. Don’t be afraid of going down to Egypt. I’m going to make you a great nation there. I’ll go with you down to Egypt; I’ll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he’ll close your eyes.”

5-7Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel’s sons loaded their father and their little ones and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They arrived in Egypt with the livestock and the wealth they had accumulated in Canaan. Jacob brought everyone in his family with him—sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters. Everyone.

8These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who went to Egypt:

Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

9Reuben’s sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

10Simeon’s sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

11Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13Issachar’s sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.

14Zebulun’s sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

15These are the sons that Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram. There was also his daughter Dinah. Altogether, sons and daughters, they numbered thirty-three.

16Gad’s sons: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17Asher’s sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Also their sister Serah, and Beriah’s sons, Heber and Malkiel.

18These are the children that Zilpah, the maid that Laban gave to his daughter Leah, bore to Jacob—sixteen of them.

19-21The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph was the father of two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, from his marriage to Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. They were born to him in Egypt. Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22These are the children born to Jacob through Rachel—fourteen.

23Dan’s son: Hushim.

24Naphtali’s sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

25These are the children born to Jacob through Bilhah, the maid Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven.

26-27Summing up, all those who went down to Egypt with Jacob—his own children, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six. Counting in the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who ended up in Egypt numbered seventy.

* * *

28-29Jacob sent Judah on ahead to get directions to Goshen from Joseph. When they got to Goshen, Joseph gave orders for his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. The moment Joseph saw him, he threw himself on his neck and wept. He wept a long time.

30Israel said to Joseph, “I’m ready to die. I’ve looked into your face—you are indeed alive.”

31-34Joseph then spoke to his brothers and his father’s family. “I’ll go and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, all of whom lived in Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they’ve always made their living by raising livestock. And they’ve brought their flocks and herds with them, along with everything else they own.’ When Pharaoh calls you in and asks what kind of work you do, tell him, ‘Your servants have always kept livestock for as long as we can remember—we and our parents also.’ That way he’ll let you stay apart in the area of Goshen—for Egyptians look down on anyone who is a shepherd.”

Learn More About The Message