Genesis 46

Jacob Goes to Egypt

1So Jacob, also called Israel, took all he had and started his trip. He went to Beersheba. There he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2During the night God spoke to Israel in a vision. He said, “Jacob, Jacob.”

And Jacob answered, “Here I am.”

3Then God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt. I will make your descendants a great nation there. 4I will go to Egypt with you. And I will bring you out of Egypt again. Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes when you die.”

5Then Jacob left Beersheba. The sons of Israel loaded their father, their children and their wives. They put them in the wagons the king of Egypt had sent. 6They also took their farm animals and everything they had gotten in Canaan. So Jacob went to Egypt with all his descendants. 7He took his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters. He took all his family to Egypt with him.

Jacob’s Family

8Now these are the names of the children of Israel who went into Egypt. (They are Jacob and his descendants.)

Reuben was Jacob’s first son. 9Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

10Simeon’s sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul. (Shaul was Simeon’s son by a Canaanite woman.)

11Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

12Judah’s sons were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah. (But Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan.) Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul.

13Issachar’s sons were Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.

14Zebulun’s sons were Sered, Elon and Jahleel.

15These are the sons of Leah and Jacob born in Northwest Mesopotamia. His daughter Dinah was also born there. There were 33 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

16Gad’s sons were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.

17Asher’s sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malkiel.

18These are Jacob’s sons by Zilpah. She was the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. There were 16 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

19The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 20In Egypt, Joseph became the father of Manasseh and Ephraim by his wife Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

21Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

22These are the sons of Jacob by his wife Rachel. There were 14 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

23Dan’s son was Hushim.

24Naphtali’s sons were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.

25These are Jacob’s sons by Bilhah. She was the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. There were 7 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

26So the total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went to Egypt was 66. (The wives of Jacob’s sons were not counted in this number.) 27Joseph had 2 sons born in Egypt. So the total number in the family of Jacob in Egypt was 70.

Jacob Arrives in Egypt

28Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to see Joseph in Goshen. Then Jacob and his people came into the land of Goshen. 29Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw his father, he hugged his neck. And he cried there for a long time.

30Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die. I have seen your face. And I know that you are still alive.”

31Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s family, “I will go and tell the king you are here. I will say, ‘My brothers and my father’s family have left the land of Canaan. They have come here to me. 32They are shepherds and take care of farm animals. And they have brought their flocks and their herds and everything they own with them.’ 33When the king calls you, he will ask, ‘What work do you do?’ 34This is what you should tell him: ‘We, your servants, have taken care of farm animals all our lives. Our ancestors did the same thing.’ Then the king will allow you to settle in the land of Goshen. This is away from the Egyptians. They don’t like to be near shepherds.”

Genesis 46

Jacob’s Journey to Egypt

1So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to #Gen. 21:31, 33; 26:32, 33; 28:10Beersheba, and offered sacrifices #Gen. 26:24, 25; 28:13; 31:42; 32:9to the God of his father Isaac. 2Then God spoke to Israel #Gen. 15:1; 22:11; 31:11; Num. 12:6; Job 33:14, 15in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

3So He said, “I am God, #Gen. 17:1; 28:13the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will #Gen. 12:2; Ex. 1:9; 12:37; Deut. 26:5make of you a great nation there. 4#Gen. 28:15; 31:3; 48:21; Ex. 3:12I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely #Gen. 15:16; 50:12, 24, 25; Ex. 3:8bring you up again; and #Gen. 50:1Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”

5Then #Gen. 47:9; Acts 7:15Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts #Gen. 45:19–21which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, #Deut. 26:5; Josh. 24:4; Ps. 105:23; Is. 52:4; Acts 7:15Jacob and all his descendants with him. 7His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

8Now #Ex. 1:1–4these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: #Num. 26:4, 5; 1 Chr. 2:1Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. 9The #Ex. 6:14sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10#Ex. 6:15; Num. 26:12The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11The sons of #Ex. 6:16, 17; 1 Chr. 6:1, 16Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12The sons of #Num. 26:19, 20; 1 Chr. 2:3; 4:21Judah were #Gen. 38:3, 7, 10Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). #Gen. 38:29The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. 14The #Num. 26:26sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15These were the #Gen. 35:23; 49:31sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three.

16The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17#Num. 26:44–47; 1 Chr. 7:30The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. 18#Gen. 30:10; 37:2These were the sons of Zilpah, #Gen. 29:24whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.

19The #Gen. 35:24sons of Rachel, #Gen. 44:27Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. 20#Gen. 41:45, 50–52; 48:1And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 21#1 Chr. 7:6; 8:1The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, #Num. 26:38Ehi, Rosh, #Num. 26:39; 1 Chr. 7:12Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.

23The son of Dan was Hushim. 24#Num. 26:48The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25#Gen. 30:5, 7These were the sons of Bilhah, #Gen. 29:29whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.

26#Ex. 1:5All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, #Gen. 35:11besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. #Ex. 1:5; Deut. 10:22; Acts 7:14All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.

Jacob Settles in Goshen

28Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, #Gen. 31:21to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came #Gen. 47:1to the land of Goshen. 29So Joseph made ready his #Gen. 41:43chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and #Gen. 45:14, 15fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.

30And Israel said to Joseph, #Luke 2:29, 30“Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”

31Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, #Gen. 47:1“I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32And the men are #Gen. 47:3shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ 33So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, #Gen. 47:2, 3‘What is your #Gen. 47:3occupation?’ 34that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock #Gen. 30:35; 34:5; 37:17from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is #Gen. 43:32; Ex. 8:26an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Choose your language

Genesis 46

Genesis 46