B'resheet (Gen) 47
47
1Then Yosef went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers have come from the land of Kena‘an with their flocks, livestock and all their possessions; right now they are in the land of Goshen.” 2He took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. 3Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They answered Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our ancestors,” 4and added, “We have come to live in the land, because in the land of Kena‘an there is no place to pasture your servant’s flocks, the famine is so severe there. Therefore, please, let your servants live in the land of Goshen.” 5Pharaoh said to Yosef, “Your father and brothers have come to you, 6and the land of Egypt lies before you. Have your father and brothers live on the best property in the country — let them live in the land of Goshen. Moreover, if you know that some of them are particularly competent, put them in charge of my livestock.”
7Yosef then brought in Ya‘akov his father and presented him to Pharaoh, and Ya‘akov blessed Pharaoh. 8Pharaoh asked Ya‘akov, “How old are you?” 9and Ya‘akov replied, “The time of my stay on earth has been 130 years; they have been few and difficult, fewer than the years my ancestors lived.” 10Then Ya‘akov blessed Pharaoh and left his presence.
(vii) 11Yosef found a place for his father and brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt, in the best region of the country, in the land of Ra‘amses, as Pharaoh had ordered. 12Yosef provided food for his father, his brothers and all his father’s household, taking full care of even the youngest.
13There was no food anywhere, for the famine was very severe, so that both Egypt and Kena‘an grew weak from hunger. 14Yosef collected all the money there was in Egypt and Kena‘an in exchange for the grain they bought, and put the money in Pharaoh’s treasury. 15When all the money in Egypt had been spent, and likewise in Kena‘an, all the Egyptians approached Yosef and said, “Give us something to eat, even though we have no money; why should we die before your eyes?” 16Yosef replied, “Give me your livestock. If you don’t have money, I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” 17So they brought Yosef their livestock; and Yosef gave them food in exchange for the horses, flocks, cattle and donkeys — all that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18When that year was over, they approached Yosef again and said to him, “We won’t hide from my lord that all our money is spent, and the herds of livestock belong to my lord. We have nothing left, as my lord can see, but our bodies and our land. 19Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be enslaved to Pharaoh. But also give us seed to plant, so that we can stay alive and not die, and so that the land won’t become barren.” 20So Yosef acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, as one by one the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine weighed on them so severely. Thus the land became the property of Pharaoh. 21As for the people, he reduced them to serfdom city by city, from one end of Egypt’s territory to the other. 22Only the priests’ land did he not acquire, because the priests were entitled to provisions from Pharaoh, and they ate from what Pharaoh provided them; therefore they did not sell their land.
23Then Yosef said to the people, “As of today I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you to sow the land. 24When harvest time comes, you are to give twenty percent to Pharaoh; eighty percent will be yours to keep for seed to plant in the fields, as well as for your food and for that of your households and your little ones.”
(Maftir) 25They replied, “You have saved our lives! So if it pleases my lord, we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26Yosef made it a law for the country of Egypt, valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have twenty percent. Only the property belonging to the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.
27Isra’el lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. They acquired possessions in it and were productive, and their numbers multiplied greatly.
Haftarah Vayigash: Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 37:15–28
B’rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Vayigash: Acts 7:9–16 (specifically vv. 13–15)
Parashah 12: Vayechi (He lived) 47:28–50:26
28Ya‘akov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; thus Ya‘akov lived to be 147 years old. 29The time came when Isra’el was approaching death; so he called for his son Yosef and said to him, “If you truly love me, please put your hand under my thigh and pledge that, out of consideration for me, you will not bury me in Egypt. 30Rather, when I sleep with my fathers, you are to carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.” He replied, “I will do as you have said.” 31He said, “Swear it to me,” and he swore to him. Then Isra’el bowed down at the head of his bed.
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleBereshis 47
47
1Then Yosef came and told Pharaoh, and said, Avi and my achim, and their tzon, and their bakar, and all that they have, are come out of Eretz Kena'an; and they are now in Eretz Goshen.
2And he took some of his achim, even five anashim, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
3And Pharaoh said unto his achim, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy avadim are roeh tzon, both we, and also Avoteinu.
4They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy avadim have no mireh (pasture) for their tzon; for the ra'av (famine) is heavy in Eretz Kena'an; now therefore, let now thy avadim dwell in Eretz Goshen.
5And Pharaoh spoke unto Yosef, saying, Avicha and acheicha are come unto thee;
6Eretz Mitzrayim is before thee; in the best of the land make avicha and acheicha to dwell; in Eretz Goshen let them dwell; and if thou knowest any anshei chayil among them, then make them sarei mikneh (royal overseers of livestock) of mine.
7And Yosef brought in Ya'akov aviv, and set him before Pharaoh; and Ya'akov made on Pharaoh a brocha.
8And Pharaoh said unto Ya'akov, How old art thou?
9And Ya'akov said unto Pharaoh, The days of the shanim of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty shanah; few and bad have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my avot in the days of their pilgrimage.
10And Ya'akov made a brocha on Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
11And Yosef settled aviv and his achim, and gave them an achuzzah (possession) in Eretz Mitzrayim, in the best of the land, in Eretz Ra'meses, just as Pharaoh had commanded.
12And Yosef provided for aviv, and his achim, and kol bais aviv, with lechem, according to the children.
13And there was no lechem in kol ha'aretz; for the ra'av was very heavy, so that Eretz Mitzrayim and kol Eretz Kena'an fainted by reason of the ra'av (famine).
14And Yosef gathered up all the kesef that was found in the Eretz Mitzrayim, and in Eretz Kena'an, for the shever (grain) which they bought; and Yosef brought the kesef into Bais Pharaoh (Pharaohʼs palace).
15And when kesef failed in Eretz Mitzrayim, and in Eretz Kena'an, kol Mitzrayim came unto Yosef, and said, Give us lechem; for why should we die in thy presence? For the kesef is gone.
16And Yosef said, Give your mikneh; and I will give you for your mikneh, if kesef is gone.
17And they brought their mikneh unto Yosef; and Yosef gave them lechem in exchange for susim, and for the tzon, and for the mikneh of the bakar, and for the chamorim; and he fed them lechem for all their mikneh for that year.
18When that year was ended, they came unto him the shanah hashenit, and said unto him, We will not hide it from adoni, how that our kesef is spent; adoni also hath our mikneh of behemah; there is not ought left in the sight of adoni, but geviyyatenu (our bodies), and adematenu (our lands);
19Why shall we die before thine eyes, both we and adematenu? Buy us and adematenu for lechem, and we and adematenu will be avadim unto Pharaoh; and give us zera, that we may live, and not die, that the adamah be not desolate.
20And Yosef bought kol Admat Mitzrayim for Pharaoh; for the Mitzrayim sold every ish his sadeh, because the ra'av (famine) was chazak over them; so the land became Pharaohʼs.
21And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Mitzrayim even to the other end thereof.
22Only the admat hakohanim bought he not; for the kohanim had a chok assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their chok which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they sold not their lands.
23Then Yosef said unto the people, See, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is zera for you, and ye shall sow the adamah.
24And it shall come to pass in the tevu'ot, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for zera of the sadeh, and for your ochel, and for them of your batim, and for food for your children.
25And they said, Thou hast saved our lives; let us find chen (grace, favor) in the sight of adoni, and we will be avadim to Pharaoh.
26And Yosef made it a chok over Eretz Mitzrayim unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the admat hakohanim only, which became not Pharaohʼs.
27And Yisroel settled in Eretz Mitzrayim, in Eretz Goshen; and they acquired property therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
[VAYAHI]
28And Ya'akov lived in Eretz Mitzrayim seventeen shanah; so the whole age of Ya'akov was a hundred forty and seven shanah.
29And the time drew near that Yisroel must die; and he called bno Yosef, and said unto him, If now I have found chen in thy sight, put, now, thy yad under my thigh, and do chesed and emes with me; bury me not, now, in Mitzrayim;
30But I will lie with my avot, and thou shalt carry me out of Mitzrayim, and bury me in their kever. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
31And he said, Swear unto me. And he swore unto him. And Yisroel prostrated toward the rosh hamittah.
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