Genesis 46
46
Jacob and his family go to Egypt
1Jacob packed up everything he owned and left for Egypt. On the way he stopped near the town of Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God his father Isaac had worshipped. 2That night, God spoke to him and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,” Jacob answered.
3God said, “I am God, the same God your father worshipped. Don't be afraid to go to Egypt. I will give you so many descendants that one day they will become a nation. 4I will go with you to Egypt, and later I will bring your descendants back here. Your son Joseph will be at your side when you die.”
5-7Jacob and his family set out from Beersheba and headed for Egypt. His sons put him in the wagon that the king#46.5-7 the king: See the note at 12.15. had sent for him, and they put their small children and their wives in the other wagons. Jacob's whole family went to Egypt, including his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters. They took along their animals and everything else they owned.#Ac 7.15.
8-15When Jacob went to Egypt, his children who were born in northern Syria#46.8-15 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10. also went along with their families.
Jacob and his wife Leah had a total of thirty-three children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but two of their grandchildren had died in Canaan.
Their eldest son Reuben took his sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
Their son Simeon took his sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite.
Their son Levi took his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Their son Judah took his sons Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. Judah's sons Er and Onan had died in Canaan. Judah's son Perez took his sons Hezron and Hamul.
Their son Issachar took his sons Tola, Puvah, Jashub,#46.8-15 Jashub: The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “Iob”. and Shimron.
Their son Zebulun took his sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
Their daughter Dinah also went.
16-18Jacob and Zilpah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Leah, had a total of sixteen children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Their son Gad took his sons Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
Their son Asher took his sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, who took his sons, Heber and Malchiel.
Serah, the daughter of Asher, also went.
19-22Jacob and Rachel had fourteen children and grandchildren.#Gn 41.50-52.
Their son Joseph was already in Egypt, where he had married Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of Heliopolis.#46.19-22 Heliopolis: See the note at 41.45. Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Jacob and Rachel's son Benjamin took his sons Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
23-25Jacob and Bilhah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Rachel, had seven children and grandchildren.
Their son Dan took his son Hushim.
Their son Naphtali took his sons Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
26Sixty-six members of Jacob's family went to Egypt with him, not counting his daughters-in-law. 27Jacob's two grandsons who were born there made it a total of seventy members of Jacob's family in Egypt.#Ac 7.14.
28Jacob had sent his son Judah ahead of him to ask Joseph to meet them in Goshen. 29So Joseph got in his chariot and went to meet his father. When they met, Joseph hugged his father around the neck and cried for a long time. 30Jacob said to Joseph, “Now that I have seen you and know you are still alive, I am ready to die.”
31Then Joseph said to his brothers and to everyone who had come with them:
I must go and tell the king#46.31 the king: See the note at 12.15. that you have arrived from Canaan. 32I will tell him that you are shepherds and that you have brought your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. 33The king will call you in and ask what you do for a living. 34When he does, be sure to say, “We are shepherds. Our families have always raised sheep.” If you tell him this, he will let you settle in the region of Goshen.
Joseph wanted them to say this to the king, because the Egyptians did not like to have anything to do with people who raised sheep.
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Genesis 46
46
Jacob Goes to Egypt
1So Jacob, also called Israel, took all he had and started his trip. He went to Beersheba. There he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2During the night God spoke to Israel in a vision. He said, “Jacob, Jacob.”
And Jacob answered, “Here I am.”
3Then God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt. I will make your descendants a great nation there. 4I will go to Egypt with you. And I will bring you out of Egypt again. Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes when you die.”
5Then Jacob left Beersheba. The sons of Israel loaded their father, their children and their wives. They put them in the wagons the king of Egypt had sent. 6They also took their farm animals and everything they had gotten in Canaan. So Jacob went to Egypt with all his descendants. 7He took his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters. He took all his family to Egypt with him.
Jacob’s Family
8Now these are the names of the children of Israel who went into Egypt. (They are Jacob and his descendants.)
Reuben was Jacob’s first son. 9Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.
10Simeon’s sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul. (Shaul was Simeon’s son by a Canaanite woman.)
11Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
12Judah’s sons were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah. (But Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan.) Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul.
13Issachar’s sons were Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.
14Zebulun’s sons were Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
15These are the sons of Leah and Jacob born in Northwest Mesopotamia. His daughter Dinah was also born there. There were 33 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.
16Gad’s sons were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
17Asher’s sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malkiel.
18These are Jacob’s sons by Zilpah. She was the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. There were 16 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.
19The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 20In Egypt, Joseph became the father of Manasseh and Ephraim by his wife Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
21Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.
22These are the sons of Jacob by his wife Rachel. There were 14 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.
23Dan’s son was Hushim.
24Naphtali’s sons were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.
25These are Jacob’s sons by Bilhah. She was the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. There were 7 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.
26So the total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went to Egypt was 66. (The wives of Jacob’s sons were not counted in this number.) 27Joseph had 2 sons born in Egypt. So the total number in the family of Jacob in Egypt was 70.
Jacob Arrives in Egypt
28Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to see Joseph in Goshen. Then Jacob and his people came into the land of Goshen. 29Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw his father, he hugged his neck. And he cried there for a long time.
30Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die. I have seen your face. And I know that you are still alive.”
31Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s family, “I will go and tell the king you are here. I will say, ‘My brothers and my father’s family have left the land of Canaan. They have come here to me. 32They are shepherds and take care of farm animals. And they have brought their flocks and their herds and everything they own with them.’ 33When the king calls you, he will ask, ‘What work do you do?’ 34This is what you should tell him: ‘We, your servants, have taken care of farm animals all our lives. Our ancestors did the same thing.’ Then the king will allow you to settle in the land of Goshen. This is away from the Egyptians. They don’t like to be near shepherds.”
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