Genesis 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 worshiped. 2That night, God spoke to him in a dream and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Here I am,” Jacob answered.

3God said, “I am God, the same God your father worshiped. 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.”

5-7 # Ac 7.15. Jacob 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.

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 33 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but two of their grandchildren had died in Canaan.

Their oldest 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 16 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.

19-22 # Gn 41.50-52. Jacob and Rachel had 14 children and grandchildren.

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. 27#Ac 7.14. Jacob's two grandsons who were born there made it a total of 70 members of Jacob's family in Egypt.

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 be around anyone who raised sheep.

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Genesis 46

Jacob Leaves for Egypt

1Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba,#Gn 21:14; 28:10; Jos 15:28; Jdg 20:1; 2Sm 24:7; 1Kg 19:3 and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2That night God spoke to Israel in a vision:#Gn 15:1; Jb 33:14–15 “Jacob, Jacob!” he said.

And Jacob replied, “Here I am.”

3God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.#Gn 12:2; 15:13–14; 35:11; Ex 1:7,9; Dt 26:5 4I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back.#Gn 15:16; 28:15; 48:21; 50:24; Ex 3:8 Joseph will close your eyes when you die.”#46:4 Lit will put his hand on your eyes#Gn 50:1

5Jacob left Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him,#Gn 45:19,21 along with their dependents and their wives. 6They also took their cattle and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Then Jacob and all his offspring with him came to Egypt.#Dt 26:5; Jos 24:4; Ps 105:23; Is 52:4; Ac 7:15 7His sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters, indeed all his offspring, he brought with him to Egypt.

Jacob’s Family

8These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt#Ex 1:1–5; Nm 26:4–5 — Jacob and his sons:

Jacob’s firstborn: Reuben.

9Reuben’s sons:#Ex 6:14 Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

10Simeon’s sons:#Ex 6:15 Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.

11Levi’s sons:#Ex 6:16; 1Ch 6:16 Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

The sons#Gn 38:29; 1Ch 2:5 of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13Issachar’s sons:#1Ch 7:1 Tola, Puvah,#46:13 Sam, Syr read Puah; 1Ch 7:1 Jashub,#46:13 Sam, LXX; MT reads Iob and Shimron.

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

15These were Leah’s sons born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, as well as his daughter Dinah. The total number of persons:#46:15 Lit All persons his sons and his daughters: thirty-three.

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

17Asher’s sons:#1Ch 7:30–31 Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.

Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malchiel.

18These were the sons of Zilpah — whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah — that she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.

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

20Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. They were born to him by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, a priest at On.#46:20 Or Heliopolis

21Benjamin’s sons:#Nm 26:38–40; 1Ch 7:6–12; 8:1 Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22These were Rachel’s sons who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons.

23Dan’s son:#46:23 Alt Hb tradition reads sons: Hushim.

24Naphtali’s sons:#1Ch 7:13 Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

25These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel.#Gn 29:29; 30:5–8 She bore to Jacob: seven persons.

26The total number of persons belonging to Jacob — his direct descendants,#46:26 Lit Jacob who came out from his loins not including the wives of Jacob’s sons — who came to Egypt: sixty-six.

27And Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt: two persons.

All those of Jacob’s household who came to Egypt: seventy#46:27 LXX reads 75; Ac 7:14 persons.#Ex 1:5; Dt 10:22; Ac 7:14

Jacob Arrives in Egypt

28Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival#46:28 Lit to give directions before him at Goshen.#Gn 45:10 When they came to the land of Goshen, 29Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.#Gn 45:14

30Then Israel said to Joseph, “I’m ready to die now because I have seen your face and you are still alive!”

31Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s family, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.#Gn 47:1 32The men are shepherds; they also raise livestock. They have brought their flocks and herds and all that they have.’ 33When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34you are to say, ‘Your servants, both we and our ancestors, have raised livestock#46:34 Lit fathers, are men of livestock from our youth until now.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to Egyptians.”#Gn 43:32; Ex 8:26

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