Genesis 47

1Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him, “My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and everything they own have come from Canaan. Right now they are in Goshen.”

2-3a He had taken five of his brothers with him and introduced them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked them, “What kind of work do you do?”

3b-4 “Your servants are shepherds, the same as our fathers were. We have come to this country to find a new place to live. There is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine has been very bad there. Please, would you let your servants settle in the region of Goshen?”

5-6Pharaoh looked at Joseph. “So, your father and brothers have arrived—a reunion! Egypt welcomes them. Settle your father and brothers on the choicest land—yes, give them Goshen. And if you know any among them that are especially good at their work, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

7-8Next Joseph brought his father Jacob in and introduced him to Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How old are you?”

9-10Jacob answered Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are 130—a short and hard life and not nearly as long as my ancestors were given.” Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left.

11-12Joseph settled his father and brothers in Egypt, made them proud owners of choice land—it was the region of Rameses (that is, Goshen)—just as Pharaoh had ordered. Joseph took good care of them—his father and brothers and all his father’s family, right down to the smallest baby. He made sure they had plenty of everything.

* * *

13-15The time eventually came when there was no food anywhere. The famine was very bad. Egypt and Canaan alike were devastated by the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan to pay for the distribution of food. He banked the money in Pharaoh’s palace. When the money from Egypt and Canaan had run out, the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Food! Give us food! Are you going to watch us die right in front of you? The money is all gone.”

16-17Joseph said, “Bring your livestock. I’ll trade you food for livestock since your money’s run out.” So they brought Joseph their livestock. He traded them food for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year in exchange for all their livestock.

18-19When that year was over, the next year rolled around and they were back, saying, “Master, it’s no secret to you that we’re broke: our money’s gone and we’ve traded you all our livestock. We’ve nothing left to barter with but our bodies and our farms. What use are our bodies and our land if we stand here and starve to death right in front of you? Trade us food for our bodies and our land. We’ll be slaves to Pharaoh and give up our land—all we ask is seed for survival, just enough to live on and keep the farms alive.”

20-21So Joseph bought up all the farms in Egypt for Pharaoh. Every Egyptian sold his land—the famine was that bad. That’s how Pharaoh ended up owning all the land and the people ended up slaves; Joseph reduced the people to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other.

22Joseph made an exception for the priests. He didn’t buy their land because they received a fixed salary from Pharaoh and were able to live off of that salary. So they didn’t need to sell their land.

23-24Joseph then announced to the people: “Here’s how things stand: I’ve bought you and your land for Pharaoh. In exchange I’m giving you seed so you can plant the ground. When the crops are harvested, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and keep four-fifths for yourselves, for seed for yourselves and your families—you’re going to be able to feed your children!”

25They said, “You’ve saved our lives! Master, we’re grateful and glad to be slaves to Pharaoh.”

26Joseph decreed a land law in Egypt that is still in effect, A Fifth Goes to Pharaoh. Only the priests’ lands were not owned by Pharaoh.

* * *

27-28And so Israel settled down in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property and flourished. They became a large company of people. Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years. In all, he lived 147 years.

29-30When the time came for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said, “Do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh, a sign that you’re loyal and true to me to the end. Don’t bury me in Egypt. When I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me alongside them.”

“I will,” he said. “I’ll do what you’ve asked.”

31Israel said, “Promise me.” Joseph promised.

Israel bowed his head in submission and gratitude from his bed.

Learn More About The Message

Genesis 47

Pharaoh Welcomes Jacob

1So Joseph went and informed Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the land of Goshen.”#Gn 45:10; 46:28

2He took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.#Ac 7:13 3And Pharaoh asked his brothers, “What is your occupation?”

They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants, both we and our ancestors, are shepherds.”#Gn 46:32–34 4And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to stay in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants’ sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe.#Gn 15:13; Dt 26:5 So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen.”

5Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you, 6the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land.#Gn 45:10,18; 47:11 They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”#Ex 18:21,25; 1Kg 11:28; Pr 22:29

7Joseph then brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?”

9Jacob said to Pharaoh, “My pilgrimage#1Ch 29:15; Ps 39:12; 119:19,54; Heb 11:9,13 has lasted 130 years. My years have been few and hard,#Jb 14:1; Ps 39:4–5; Jms 4:14 and they have not reached the years of my ancestors during their pilgrimages.”#Gn 11:32; 25:7; 35:28 10So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from Pharaoh’s presence.

11Then Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the land of Rameses,#Gn 45:10; Ex 1:11; 12:37 as Pharaoh had commanded. 12And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s family with food for their dependents.#Gn 45:11; 50:21

The Land Becomes Pharaoh’s

13But there was no food in the entire region, for the famine was very severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan were exhausted by the famine. 14Joseph collected all the silver to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were purchasing, and he brought the silver to Pharaoh’s palace.#Gn 41:56 15When the silver from the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die here in front of you? The silver is gone!”

16But Joseph said, “Give me your livestock. Since the silver is gone, I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” 17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks of sheep, the herds of cattle, and the donkeys. That year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.

18When that year was over, they came the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our lord that the silver is gone and that all our livestock belongs to our lord. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19Why should we die here in front of you — both us and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed so that we can live and not die, and so that the land won’t become desolate.”

20In this way, Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field since the famine was so severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21and Joseph made the people servants#47:21 Sam, LXX; MT reads and he moved the people to the cities from one end of Egypt to the other. 22The only land he did not acquire belonged to the priests, for they had an allowance from Pharaoh. They ate from their allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

23Joseph said to the people, “Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you. Sow it in the land. 24At harvest, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh,#Gn 41:34 and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your households, and your dependents.”

25“You have saved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor with our lord and will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26So Joseph made it a law, still in effect today in the land of Egypt, that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.

Israel Settles in Goshen

27Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property in it and became fruitful and very numerous.#Gn 17:6; 26:4; 35:11; Ex 1:7; Dt 26:5; Ac 7:17 28Now Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years, and his life span was 147 years. 29When the time approached for him to die,#Dt 31:14; 1Kg 2:1 he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor with you, put your hand under my thigh#Gn 24:2 and promise me that you will deal with me in kindness and faithfulness.#Gn 24:49 Do not bury me in Egypt. 30When I rest with my ancestors, carry me away from Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”#Gn 23:17–20; 25:9–10; 35:29; 49:29–32; 50:5,13; Ac 7:15–16

Joseph answered, “I will do what you have asked.”

31And Jacob said, “Swear to me.” So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed in thanks at the head of his bed.#47:31 Or Israel worshiped while leaning on the top of his staff#Gn 48:2; 1Kg 1:47; Heb 11:21

Learn More About Christian Standard Bible