Genesis 46
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 put his hands on your eyes.” # = Joseph will close your eyes after you die # 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 children and their wives. 6They also took their cattle and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Then Jacob and all his children went with him 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 Israelites, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: # Ex 1:1-5; Nm 26:4-5
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.
Perez’s sons: # Gn 38:29; 1Ch 2:5 Hezron and Hamul.
13Issachar’s sons: # 1Ch 7:1 Tola, Puvah, # Sam, Syr read Puah ; 1Ch 7:1 Jashub, # 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: # Lit All persons his sons and his daughters 33.
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: 16 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. # 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: 14 persons.
23Dan’s son: # 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, # Lit Jacob who came out from his loins not including the wives of Jacob’s sons — who came to Egypt: 66.
27And Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt: two persons.
All those of Jacob’s household who had come to Egypt: 70 # 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 # 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, “At last I can die, now that I have seen your face and know you are still alive! ”
31Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him: My brothers and my father’s household, 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 sheep and cattle 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 fathers, have raised livestock # 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 abhorrent to Egyptians.” # Gn 43:32; Ex 8:26
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Genesis 46
46
God Assures Israel
1So Israel began his trip to Egypt. First he went to Beersheba. There he worshiped God, the God of his father Isaac. He offered sacrifices. 2During the night God spoke to Israel in a dream and said, “Jacob, Jacob.”
Israel answered, “Here I am.”
3Then God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt. In Egypt I will make you a great nation. 4I will go to Egypt with you, and I will bring you out of Egypt again. You will die there, but Joseph will be with you. His own hands will close your eyes when you die.”
Israel Goes to Egypt
5Then Jacob left Beersheba and traveled to Egypt. His sons, the sons of Israel, brought their father, their wives, and all their children to Egypt. They traveled in the wagons the Pharaoh had sent. 6They also had their cattle and everything they owned in the land of Canaan. So Israel went to Egypt with all his children and his family. 7With him were his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters. All of his family went with him.
The Family of Jacob (Israel)
8These are the names of Israel’s sons and family who went to Egypt with him:
Reuben was Jacob’s first son. 9Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10Simeon’s sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, and Zohar. There was also Shaul. (Shaul was born from a Canaanite woman.)
11Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12Judah’s sons were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (Er and Onan died while still in Canaan.) Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul.
13Issachar’s sons were Tola, Puah, Job, and Shimron.
14Zebulun’s sons were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were Jacob’s sons from his wife Leah. Leah had these sons in Paddan Aram. She also had a daughter named Dinah. There were 33 people in this family.
16Gad’s sons were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17Asher’s sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. Also there were Beriah’s sons, Heber and Malkiel.
18All these were Jacob’s sons from his wife’s servant, Zilpah. (Zilpah was the maid that Laban had given to his daughter Leah.) There were 16 people in this family.
19Benjamin was also with Jacob. Benjamin was Jacob and Rachel’s son. (Joseph was also Rachel’s son, but he was already in Egypt.)
20In Egypt, Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. (Joseph’s wife was Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest in the city of On.)
21Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22These were the sons of Jacob from his wife Rachel. There were 14 people in this family.
23Dan’s son was Hushim.
24Naphtali’s sons were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25These were the sons of Jacob and Bilhah. (Bilhah was the maid that Laban had given to his daughter Rachel.) There were seven people in this family.
26The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went with him to Egypt was 66 people. (The wives of Jacob’s sons were not counted in this number.) 27Also, Joseph had two sons in Egypt. With these two grandsons, Jacob’s family in Egypt numbered 70 people in all.
Israel Arrives in Egypt
28Jacob sent Judah ahead to speak to Joseph. Judah went to Joseph in the land of Goshen. Then Jacob and his people followed into the land. 29Joseph learned that his father was coming. So he prepared his chariot and went out to meet his father, Israel, in Goshen. When Joseph saw his father, he hugged his neck and cried for a long time.
30Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die in peace. I have seen your face, and I know that you are still alive.”
31Joseph said to his brothers and to the rest of his father’s family, “I will go and tell Pharaoh that you are here. I will say to Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and the rest of my father’s family have left the land of Canaan and have come here to me. 32They are a family of shepherds. They have always kept sheep and cattle. They have brought all their animals and everything they own with them.’ 33When Pharaoh calls you, he will ask, ‘What work do you do?’ 34You tell him, ‘We are shepherds. All our lives we have been shepherds, and our ancestors were shepherds before us.’ Then Pharaoh will allow you to live in the land of Goshen. Egyptians don’t like shepherds, so it is better that you stay in Goshen.”
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International