Berĕshith (Genesis) 47
47
1Then Yosĕph went and spoke to Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Kena‛an. And see, they are in the land of Goshen.”
2And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.
3And Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.”
4And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to dwell in the land, because there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the scarcity of food is severe in the land of Kena‛an. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5And Pharaoh spoke to Yosĕph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.
6The land of Mitsrayim is before you. Settle your father and brothers in the best of the land, let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of capable men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.
7And Yosĕph brought in his father Ya‛aqoḇ and set him before Pharaoh. And Ya‛aqoḇ blessed Pharaoh.
8And Pharaoh said to Ya‛aqoḇ, “How old are you?”
9And Ya‛aqoḇ said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojournings are one hundred and thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not reached the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.”
10And Ya‛aqoḇ blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11So Yosĕph settled his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Mitsrayim, in the best of the land, in the land of Ra‛meses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12And Yosĕph provided his father, and his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread for the mouth of the little ones.
13Now there was no bread in all the land, because the scarcity of food was very severe, and the land of Mitsrayim and all the land of Kena‛an became exhausted from the scarcity of food.
14And Yosĕph gathered up all the silver that was found in the land of Mitsrayim and in the land of Kena‛an, for the grain which they bought. And Yosĕph brought the silver into Pharaoh’s house.
15And when the silver was all spent in the land of Mitsrayim and in the land of Kena‛an, all the Mitsrites came to Yosĕph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the silver is gone!”
16And Yosĕph said, “Give your livestock, and I give you bread for your livestock, if the silver is gone.”
17So they brought their livestock to Yosĕph, and Yosĕph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks they owned, and for the herds they owned, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.
18And when that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We do not hide from my master that our silver is all spent, and my master also has the livestock we owned. There has not been left any before my master but our bodies and our lands.
19Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and let us and our land be servants of Pharaoh. And give us seed, and let us live and not die, and let the land not lie waste.
20And Yosĕph bought the entire land of Mitsrayim for Pharaoh, because every man of the Mitsrites sold his field, because the scarcity of food was severe upon them. And the land came to be Pharaoh’s.
21And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Mitsrayim to the other end.
22Only the ground of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had from what Pharaoh gave them by law, and they ate that which Pharaoh gave them by law. Therefore they did not sell their ground.
23And Yosĕph said to the people, “Look, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
24And it shall be that in the harvest you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. And four-fifths is your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.
25And they said, “You have saved our lives. Let us find favour in the eyes of my master, and we shall become Pharaoh’s servants.”
26And Yosĕph made it a law over the land of Mitsrayim to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the ground of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.
27And Yisra’ĕl dwelt in the land of Mitsrayim, in the land of Goshen. And they had possessions there and were fruirful and increased exceedingly.
28And Ya‛aqoḇ lived in the land of Mitsrayim seventeen years. So the length of Ya‛aqoḇ’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.
29And the time for Yisra’ĕl to die drew near, and he called his son Yosĕph and said to him, “Now if I have found favour in your eyes, please put your hand under my thigh, and show loving-commitment and truth to me. Please do not bury me in Mitsrayim,
30but I shall lie with my fathers, and you shall take me up out of Mitsrayim and bury me in their burial-place.” And he said, “I do as you have said.”
31And he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him, and Yisra’ĕl bowed himself on the head of the bed.
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Genesis 47
47
1 And so Joseph entered and reported to Pharaoh, saying: "My father and brothers, their sheep and herds, and everything that they possess, have arrived from the land of Canaan. And behold, they stand together in the land of Goshen."
2 Likewise, he stood in the sight of the king five men, the last of his brothers.
3 And he questioned them, "What do you have for work?" They responded: "Your servants are pastors of sheep, both we and our fathers.
4 We came to sojourn in your land, because there is no grass for the flocks of your servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Canaan. And we petition you that you may order us, your servants, to be in the land of Goshen."
5 And so the king said to Joseph: "Your father and brothers have come to you.
6 The land of Egypt is in your sight. Cause them to live in the best place, and deliver to them the land of Goshen. And if you know there to be industrious men among them, appoint these as foremen over my cattle."
7 After this, Joseph brought in his father to the king, and he stood him in his sight. He blessed him,
8 and he questioned him: "How many are the days of the years of your life?"
9 He responded, "The days of my sojourn are one hundred and thirty years, few and unworthy, and they do not reach even to the days of the sojourning of my fathers."
10 And blessing the king, he went outside.
11 Truly, Joseph gave his father and brothers a possession in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Rameses, as Pharaoh had instructed.
12 And he fed them, along with all his father's house, providing portions of food to each one.
13 For in the whole world there was a lack of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land, most of all Egypt and Canaan,
14 from which he gathered together all the money for the grain that they bought, and he took it into the treasury of the king.
15 And when the buyers had run out of money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: "Give us bread. Why should we die in your sight, lacking money?"
16 And he responded to them: "Bring me your cattle, and I will give food to you in exchange for them, if you do not have money."
17 And when they had brought them, he gave them food for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and donkeys. And he sustained them in that year in exchange for their cattle.
18 Likewise, they came the second year, and they said to him: "We will not conceal from our lord that our money is gone; likewise our cattle are gone. Neither are you unaware that we have nothing left but our bodies and our land.
19 Therefore, why should you watch us die? Both we and our land will be yours. Buy us into royal servitude, but provide seed, lest by the dying off of cultivators the land be reduced to a wilderness."
20 Therefore, Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, each one selling his possessions because of the magnitude of the famine. And he subjected it to Pharaoh,
21 along with all of its people, from the newest borders of Egypt, even to its furthest limits,
22 except the land of the priests, which had been delivered to them by the king. To these also a portion of food was supplied out of the public storehouses, and, for this reason, they were not compelled to sell their possessions.
23 Therefore, Joseph said to the people: "So, as you discern, both you and your lands are possessed by Pharaoh; take seed and sow the fields,
24 so that you may be able to have grain. One fifth part you will give to the king; the remaining four I permit to you, as seed and as food for your families and children.
25 And they responded: "Our health is in your hand; only let our lord look kindly upon us, and we will serve the king with gladness."
26 From that time, even to the present day, in the entire land of Egypt, the fifth part is turned over to the kings, and it has become like a law, except in the land of the priests, which was free from this condition.
27 And so, Israel lived in Egypt, that is, in the land of Goshen, and he possessed it. And he increased and was multiplied exceedingly.
28 And he lived in it seventeen years. And all the days of his life that passed were one hundred and forty-seven years.
29 And when he discerned that the day of his death was approaching, he called his son Joseph, and he said to him: "If I have found favor in your sight, place your hand under my thigh. And you shall show me mercy and truth, not to bury me in Egypt.
30 But I shall sleep with my fathers, and you will carry me from this land and bury me in the sepulcher of my ancestors." And Joseph answered him, "I will do what you have ordered."
31 And he said, "Then swear it to me." And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the head of his resting place.