Genesis 47
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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Genesis 47
47
1Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him, “My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and everything they own have come from Canaan. Right now they are in Goshen.”
2-3a He had taken five of his brothers with him and introduced them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked them, “What kind of work do you do?”
3b-4 “Your servants are shepherds, the same as our fathers were. We have come to this country to find a new place to live. There is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine has been very bad there. Please, would you let your servants settle in the region of Goshen?”
5-6Pharaoh looked at Joseph. “So, your father and brothers have arrived—a reunion! Egypt welcomes them. Settle your father and brothers on the choicest land—yes, give them Goshen. And if you know any among them that are especially good at their work, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
7-8Next Joseph brought his father Jacob in and introduced him to Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How old are you?”
9-10Jacob answered Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are 130—a short and hard life and not nearly as long as my ancestors were given.” Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left.
11-12Joseph settled his father and brothers in Egypt, made them proud owners of choice land—it was the region of Rameses (that is, Goshen)—just as Pharaoh had ordered. Joseph took good care of them—his father and brothers and all his father’s family, right down to the smallest baby. He made sure they had plenty of everything.
* * *
13-15The time eventually came when there was no food anywhere. The famine was very bad. Egypt and Canaan alike were devastated by the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan to pay for the distribution of food. He banked the money in Pharaoh’s palace. When the money from Egypt and Canaan had run out, the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Food! Give us food! Are you going to watch us die right in front of you? The money is all gone.”
16-17Joseph said, “Bring your livestock. I’ll trade you food for livestock since your money’s run out.” So they brought Joseph their livestock. He traded them food for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year in exchange for all their livestock.
18-19When that year was over, the next year rolled around and they were back, saying, “Master, it’s no secret to you that we’re broke: our money’s gone and we’ve traded you all our livestock. We’ve nothing left to barter with but our bodies and our farms. What use are our bodies and our land if we stand here and starve to death right in front of you? Trade us food for our bodies and our land. We’ll be slaves to Pharaoh and give up our land—all we ask is seed for survival, just enough to live on and keep the farms alive.”
20-21So Joseph bought up all the farms in Egypt for Pharaoh. Every Egyptian sold his land—the famine was that bad. That’s how Pharaoh ended up owning all the land and the people ended up slaves; Joseph reduced the people to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other.
22Joseph made an exception for the priests. He didn’t buy their land because they received a fixed salary from Pharaoh and were able to live off of that salary. So they didn’t need to sell their land.
23-24Joseph then announced to the people: “Here’s how things stand: I’ve bought you and your land for Pharaoh. In exchange I’m giving you seed so you can plant the ground. When the crops are harvested, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and keep four-fifths for yourselves, for seed for yourselves and your families—you’re going to be able to feed your children!”
25They said, “You’ve saved our lives! Master, we’re grateful and glad to be slaves to Pharaoh.”
26Joseph decreed a land law in Egypt that is still in effect, A Fifth Goes to Pharaoh. Only the priests’ lands were not owned by Pharaoh.
* * *
27-28And so Israel settled down in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property and flourished. They became a large company of people. Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years. In all, he lived 147 years.
29-30When the time came for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said, “Do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh, a sign that you’re loyal and true to me to the end. Don’t bury me in Egypt. When I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me alongside them.”
“I will,” he said. “I’ll do what you’ve asked.”
31Israel said, “Promise me.” Joseph promised.
Israel bowed his head in submission and gratitude from his bed.
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.