1So Jacob left Canaan. He took everything that belonged to him. When he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to God, the God of his father Isaac. 2During the night, God spoke to Israel in a dream. He said, ‘Jacob! Jacob!’ Jacob replied, ‘Yes, I am here.’ 3God said, ‘I am God. I am the God that your father worshipped. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt. Your descendants will be very many so that you become a great nation there. 4I will go with you to Egypt. I will also bring you back again. Joseph will be with you when you die.’

5Then Jacob left Beersheba and he continued to travel. Jacob's sons took their father as well as their wives and children. They rode in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to take them to Egypt. 6They also took all their animals and everything that they had got in Canaan. In that way, Jacob and all his family went to Egypt. 7He took his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters. He took all his family with him to Egypt.

8These are the names of the descendants of Israel #46:8 Israel is the new name that God gave to Jacob. We call the descendants of Jacob ‘Israelites.’ Jacob's 12 sons became the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. who went to Egypt, (that is, the sons of Jacob):

Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob.

9The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

11The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.

14The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel.

15These were the sons that Leah gave birth to in Paddan Aram. Jacob was their father. Leah also gave birth to a daughter, Dinah. These sons and daughters of Jacob were 33 in all.

16The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.

17The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel.

18These were the children that Zilpah gave birth to. Jacob was their father. Leah gave Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. There were 16 children in all.

19The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

20Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in Egypt. Their mother was Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

21The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

22These were the sons of Rachel, born to Jacob. There were 14 in all.

23The son of Dan: Hushim.

24The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.

25These were the sons that Bilhah gave birth to. She was Rachel's servant that Laban gave to her. Bilhah gave birth to these sons for Jacob. There were seven in all.

26Jacob's descendants who went with him to Egypt were 66. That does not include his son's wives. 27Joseph had two sons that were born in Egypt. So there were 70 people of Jacob's family who were there in Egypt.

28Then Jacob sent Judah to go to Joseph before he got there himself. He learned how to get to Goshen and they arrived there. 29Joseph prepared his chariot and he went to Goshen to meet Jacob, his father. When they met, Joseph hugged his father and he wept for a long time.

30Jacob said to Joseph, ‘Now I am ready to die. I have seen for myself that you are still alive.’ 31Then Joseph spoke to his brothers and to his father's people. He said, ‘I will go and say to Pharaoh, “My brothers and all my father's people have arrived here from Canaan. 32The men are shepherds. They take care of their animals. They have brought with them their sheep, goats and cows, and everything that they have.” 33Pharaoh will call you to meet him. He will ask you, “What is your job?” 34Then you should answer, “We have always taken care of cows and sheep since we were young men. Our ancestors have always done this work.” Egyptians do not want to live near people who take care of sheep. So Pharaoh will let you stay in the region called Goshen.’ #46:34 Joseph wanted Pharaoh to know that his family would not cause any trouble to the Egyptians. They would take care of themselves.

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Genesis 46

1And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. 2And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 3And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 4I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

5And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: 7his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt. 8And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. 9And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Pallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. 10And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman. 11And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Puvah, and Iob, and Shimron. 14And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. 15These are the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three. 16And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli. 17And the sons of Asher; Imnah, and Ishvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel. 18These are the sons of Zilpah, which Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls. 19The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph and Benjamin. 20And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On bare unto him. 21And the sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. 22These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen. 23And the sons of Dan; Hushim. 24And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. 25These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob: all the souls were seven. 26All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six; 27and the sons of Joseph, which were born to him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

28And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to shew the way before him unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. 29And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 30And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, that thou art yet alive. 31And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and tell Pharaoh, and will say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 32and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. 33And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? 34that ye shall say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society

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Genesis 46

Genesis 46