Genesis 46
46
1So Israel set out on the journey with everything he owned. He arrived at Beersheba and worshiped, offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2God spoke to Israel in a vision that night: “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Yes?” he said. “I’m listening.”
3-4God said, “I am the God of your father. Don’t be afraid of going down to Egypt. I’m going to make you a great nation there. I’ll go with you down to Egypt; I’ll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he’ll close your eyes.”
5-7Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel’s sons loaded their father and their little ones and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They arrived in Egypt with the livestock and the wealth they had accumulated in Canaan. Jacob brought everyone in his family with him—sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters. Everyone.
8These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who went to Egypt:
Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
9Reuben’s sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10Simeon’s sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
11Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
13Issachar’s sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.
14Zebulun’s sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15These are the sons that Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram. There was also his daughter Dinah. Altogether, sons and daughters, they numbered thirty-three.
16Gad’s sons: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17Asher’s sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Also their sister Serah, and Beriah’s sons, Heber and Malkiel.
18These are the children that Zilpah, the maid that Laban gave to his daughter Leah, bore to Jacob—sixteen of them.
19-21The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph was the father of two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, from his marriage to Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. They were born to him in Egypt. Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22These are the children born to Jacob through Rachel—fourteen.
23Dan’s son: Hushim.
24Naphtali’s sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25These are the children born to Jacob through Bilhah, the maid Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven.
26-27Summing up, all those who went down to Egypt with Jacob—his own children, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six. Counting in the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who ended up in Egypt numbered seventy.
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28-29Jacob sent Judah on ahead to get directions to Goshen from Joseph. When they got to Goshen, Joseph gave orders for his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. The moment Joseph saw him, he threw himself on his neck and wept. He wept a long time.
30Israel said to Joseph, “I’m ready to die. I’ve looked into your face—you are indeed alive.”
31-34Joseph then spoke to his brothers and his father’s family. “I’ll go and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, all of whom lived in Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they’ve always made their living by raising livestock. And they’ve brought their flocks and herds with them, along with everything else they own.’ When Pharaoh calls you in and asks what kind of work you do, tell him, ‘Your servants have always kept livestock for as long as we can remember—we and our parents also.’ That way he’ll let you stay apart in the area of Goshen—for Egyptians look down on anyone who is a shepherd.”
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Genesis 46
46
1And Israel taking his journey, with all that he had, came to the well of the oath, and killing victims there to the God of his father Isaac,
2He heard him by a vision in the night calling him, and saying to him: Jacob, Jacob. And he answered him: Lo, here I am.
3God said to him: I am the most mighty God of thy father. Fear not, go down into Egypt, for I will make a great nation of thee there.
4I will go down with thee thither, and will bring thee back again from thence: Joseph also shall put his hands upon thy eyes.
5And Jacob rose up from the well of the oath: and his sons took him up, with their children and wives in the wagons, which Pharao had sent to carry the old man,
6And all that he had in the land of Chanaan. And he came into Egypt with all his seed:
7His sons, and grandsons, daughters, and all his offspring together.
8And these are the names of the children of Israel, that entered into Egypt, he and his children. His firstborn Ruben.
9The sons of Ruben: Henoch and Phallu, and Hesron and Charmi.
10The sons of Simeon: Jamuel and Jamin and Ahod, and Jachin and Sohar, and Saul the son of a woman of Chanaan.
11The sons of Levi: Gerson and Caath and Merari.
12The sons of Juda: Her and Onan and Sela and Phares and Zara. And Her and Onan died in the land of Chanaan. And sons were born to Phares: Hesron and Hamul.
13The sons of Issachar: Thola and Phua and Job and Semron.
14The sons of Zabulon: Sared and Elon and Jahelel.
15These are the sons of Lia, whom she bore in Mesopotamia of Syria, with Dina his daughter. All the souls of her sons and daughters, thirty-three.
16The sons of Gad: Sephian and Haggi and Suni and Esebon and Heri and Arodi and Areli.
17The sons of Aser: Jamne and Jesua and Jessuri and Beria, and Sara their sister. The sons of Beria: Heber and Melchiel.
18These are the sons of Zelpha, whom Laban gave to Lia his daughter. And these she bore to Jacob, sixteen souls.
19The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin.
20And sons were born to Joseph, in the land of Egypt, whom Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis bore him: Manasses and Ephraim.
21The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Bechor and Asbel and Gera and Naaman and Echi and Ros and Mophim and Ophim and Ared.
22These are the sons of Rachel, whom she bore to Jacob. All the souls, fourteen.
23The sons of Dan: Husim.
24The sons of Nephtali: Jaziel and Guni and Jeser and Sallem.
25These are the sons of Bala, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter: and these she bore to Jacob. All the souls, seven.
26All the souls that went with Jacob into Egypt, and that came out of his thigh, besides his sons' wives, sixty-six.
27And the sons of Joseph, that were born to him in the land of Egypt, two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, that entered into Egypt, were seventy.
28And he sent Juda before him to Joseph, to tell him; and that he should meet him in Gessen.
29And when he was come thither, Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet his father, in the same place: and seeing him, he fell upon his neck, and embracing him wept.
30And the father said to Joseph: Now shall I die with joy, because I have seen thy face, and leave thee alive.
31And Joseph said to his brethren, and to all his father's house: I will go up, and will tell Pharao, and will say to him: My brethren and my father's house, that were in the land of Chanaan, are come to me.
32And the men are shepherds, and their occupation is to feed cattle: their flocks and herds, and all they have, they have brought with them.
33And when he shall call you, and shall say: What is your occupation?
34You shall answer: We thy servants are shepherds, from our infancy until now, both we and our fathers. And this you shall say, that you may dwell in the land of Gessen, because the Egyptians have all shepherds in abomination.
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.