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’s [Israel’s] Seventh Encounter with God
1Israel moved with all he had. When he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2God spoke to Israel in a vision that night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
3“I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt, because I will make you a great nation there. 4I will go with you to Egypt, and I will make sure you come back again. Joseph will close your eyes ⌞when you die⌟.”
5So Jacob left Beersheba. Israel’s sons put their father Jacob, their children, and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to bring him back. 6They also took their livestock and the possessions they had accumulated in Canaan.
Jacob and all his family arrived in Egypt. 7He had brought his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters—his entire family.
Jacob’s [Israel’s] Descendants
(Exodus 6:14–16; 1 Chronicles 2:3–5)
8These are the names of Israel’s descendants (Jacob and his descendants) who arrived in Egypt.
Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn.
9The sons of Reuben were
Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10The sons of Simeon were
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11The sons of Levi were
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12The sons of Judah were
Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (Er and Onan had died in Canaan.)
The sons of Perez were
Hezron and Hamul.
13The sons of Issachar were
Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.
14The sons of Zebulun were
Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15These were the descendants of the sons Leah gave to Jacob in Paddan Aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of these sons and daughters was 33.
16The sons of Gad were
Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17The sons of Asher were
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was Serah.
The sons of Beriah were
Heber and Malchiel.
18These were the descendants of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. She gave birth to these children for Jacob. The total was 16.
19The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were
Joseph and Benjamin.
20In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest from the city of On.
21The sons of Benjamin were
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22These were the descendants of Rachel who were born to Jacob. The total was 14.
23The son of Dan was
Hushim.
24The sons of Naphtali were
Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25These were the descendants of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. She gave birth to these sons for Jacob. The total was 7.
26The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went with him to Egypt was 66. This didn’t include the wives of Jacob’s sons. 27Joseph had two sons who were born in Egypt. The grand total of people in Jacob’s household who went to Egypt was 70.
Joseph and Jacob [Israel] Reunited
28Israel sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Israel’s family arrived in the region of Goshen, 29Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his father Israel. As soon as he saw his father, he threw his arms around him and cried on his shoulder a long time.
30Israel said to Joseph, “Now that I’ve seen for myself that you’re still alive, I’m ready to die.”
31Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s family, “I’m going to Pharaoh to tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, who were in Canaan, have come to me. 32The men are shepherds. They take care of livestock. They’ve brought their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33Now, when Pharaoh calls for you and asks, ‘What kind of work do you do?’ 34you must answer, ‘We have taken care of herds all our lives, as our ancestors have done.’ ⌞You must say this⌟ so that you may live in the region of Goshen, because all shepherds are disgusting to Egyptians.”
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