Genesis 47
47
1Then Yosef came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Kena’an; and, behold, they [are] in the land of Goshen [Drawing Near].
2And he took some of his brethren, [even] five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
3And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What [is] youri occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh (Great House), youri servants [are] shepherds, both we, [and] also our fathers.
4They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for youri servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine [is] sore in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues): now therefore, we pray youi, let youri servants dwell in the land of Goshen [Drawing Near] (approaching; drawing near).
5And Pharaoh spoke unto Yosef, saying, youri father and youri brethren are come unto youi:
6The land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land) is before youi; in the best of the land make youri father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen [Drawing Near] (approaching; drawing near) let them dwell: and if youi know [any] men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
7And Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) brought in Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) his father, and set him before Pharaoh (Great House): and Ya’akov Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) Pharaoh.
8And Pharaoh said unto Ya’akov, How old [are] youi?
9And Ya’akov said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage [are] an hundred and thirty years: few and evil 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 fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
10And Ya’akov Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11And Yosef placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] in the best of the land, in the land of Ra’amses [child or born of the sun god Ra], as Pharaoh (Great House) had commanded.
12And Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to [their] families.
13And [there was] no bread in all the land; for the famine [was] very sore, so that the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] [all] the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues) fainted by reason of the famine.
14And Yosef gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt], and in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues), for the corn which they bought: and Yosef brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
15And when money failed in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt], and in the land of Kena’an all the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians] (People of the Black Land) came unto Yosef, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in youri presence? for the money fails.
16And Yosef said, Give youri cattle; and I will give youi for youri cattle, if money fail.
17And they brought their cattle unto Yosef: and Yosef gave them bread [in exchange] for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
18When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide [it] from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also has our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
19For what reason shall we die before youri eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give [us] seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
20And Yosef bought all the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] for Pharaoh; for the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians] sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s.
21And as for the people, he removed them to cities from [one] end of the borders of Mitzrayim [Egypt] even to the [other] end thereof.
22Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion [assigned them] of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: For what reason they sold not their lands.
23Then Yosef said unto the people, Behold, I have bought youi this day and youri land for Pharaoh: lo, [here is] seed for you, and youf shall sow the land.
24And it shall come to pass in the increase, that youf shall give the fifth [part] unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be youri own, for seed of the field, and for youri food, and for them of your households, and for food for youri little ones.
25And they said, Youi have saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
26And Yosef made it a law over the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] unto this day, [that] Pharaoh should have the fifth [part]; except the land of the priests only, [which] became not Pharaoh’s.
27And Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) dwelt in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land), in the country of Goshen [Drawing Near] (approaching; drawing near); and they had possessions in it, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
28And Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) lived in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] seventeen years: so the whole age of Ya’akov was an hundred forty and seven years.
29And the time drew near that Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) must die: and he called his son Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]), and said unto him, If now I have found grace in youri sight, put, I pray youi, youri hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray youi, in Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land):
30But I will lie with my fathers, and youi shall carry me out of Mitzrayim [Egypt], and bury me in their burying place. And he said, I will do as youi have said.
31And he said, Swear unto me. And he swore unto him. And Isra’el bowed himself upon the bed’s head.
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Genesis 47: NMV
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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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