Genesis 47

Genesis 47

Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

1Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.” 2And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. 3Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.” 4They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to reside in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.” 5Then Pharaoh said to #47.5: Lit Joseph, sayingJoseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6The land of Egypt is #47.6: Lit before youat your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then #47.6: Lit appoint them rulersput them in charge of my livestock.”

7Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and #47.7: Lit set him beforepresented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many #47.8: Lit are the days of the years of your lifeyears have you lived?” 9So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The #47.9: Lit days of the yearsyears of my living abroad are #47.9: Lit 130 years130; few and #47.9: Lit evilunpleasant have been the #47.9: Lit days of the yearsyears of my life, nor have they #47.9: Lit reachedattained the #47.9: Lit days of the yearsyears #47.9: Lit of the life of my fathersthat my fathers lived during the days of their living abroad.” 10So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from #47.10: Lit Pharaoh’shis presence. 11Now Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. 12Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with #47.12: Or breadfood, according to the #47.12: Lit mouthnumber of their little ones.

13Now there was no #47.13: Or breadfood in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14And Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in payment for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph saying, “Give us #47.15: Or breadfood, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is #47.15: Lit at an endgone.” 16Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is #47.16: Lit at an endgone.” 17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them #47.17: Or breadfood in exchange for the horses and the #47.17: Lit livestock of the flocks and livestock of the herdsflocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he #47.17: Lit led them as a shepherdfed them with #47.17: Or breadfood in exchange for all their livestock #47.17: Lit in that yearthat year. 18But when that year ended, they came to him the #47.18: Lit secondnext year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord the fact that our money is all spent, and the #47.18: Lit livestock of the cattlelivestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left #47.18: Lit in the presence offor my lord except our bodies and our lands. 19Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for #47.19: Or breadfood, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

Result of the Famine

20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for #47.20: Lit Egypt, every manevery Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21As for the people, he relocated them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other. 22Only the land of the priests he did not buy, because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they #47.22: Lit ate their allotmentlived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. 23Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, today I have purchased you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. 24#47.24: Lit It shall come about...that you shallAt the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and #47.24: Lit four partsfour-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food, and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.” 25So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, valid to this day, that Pharaoh was to have the fifth; only the land of the priests #47.26: Lit alone diddid not become Pharaoh’s.

27Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in #47.27: Lit the land of GoshenGoshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous. 28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years; so the #47.28: Lit days of Jacob, the years of his lifelength of Jacob’s life was 147 years.

29When #47.29: Lit the days of Israelthe time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place your hand under my thigh now and deal with me in kindness and #47.29: Lit truthfaithfulness: please do not bury me in Egypt, 30but when I #47.30: I.e., dielie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.” 31And he said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

Genesis 47

Jacob Settles in Goshen

1Joseph went in to the king and said, “My father and my brothers have arrived from Canaan. They have their flocks and herds and everything they own with them. They are now in the land of Goshen.” 2Joseph chose five of his brothers to introduce to the king.

3The king said to the brothers, “What work do you do?”

And they said to him, “We, your servants, are shepherds. Our ancestors were also shepherds.” 4They said to the king, “We have come to live in this land. There is no grass in the land of Canaan for our animals to eat. The hunger is very terrible there. So please allow us to live in the land of Goshen.”

5Then the king said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6You may choose any place in Egypt for them to live. Give your father and your brothers the best land. Let them live in the land of Goshen. And if any of them are skilled shepherds, put them in charge of my sheep and cattle.”

7Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and introduced him to the king. And Jacob blessed the king.

8Then the king said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

9Jacob said to him, “My life has been spent wandering from place to place. It has been short, filled with trouble. I have lived only 130 years. My ancestors lived much longer than I.” 10Then Jacob blessed the king and left.

11Joseph obeyed the king. He gave his father and brothers the best land in Egypt. It was near the city of Rameses. 12And Joseph gave his father, his brothers and everyone who lived with them the food they needed.

Joseph Buys Land for the King

13The hunger became worse, and there was no food anywhere in the land. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan became very poor because of this. 14Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan. People paid him this money for the grain they were buying. He brought that money to the king’s palace. 15After some time, the people in Egypt and Canaan had no money left. So they went to Joseph and said, “Please give us food. Our money is gone. If we don’t eat, we will die here in front of you.”

16Joseph answered, “Since you have no money, give me your farm animals. I will give you food in return.” 17So people brought their farm animals to Joseph. And he gave them food in exchange for their horses, sheep, cattle and donkeys. So he kept them alive by trading food for their farm animals that year.

18The next year the people came to Joseph and said, “You know we have no money left. And all our animals belong to you. We have nothing left except our bodies and our land. 19Surely both we and our land will die here in front of you. Buy us and our land in exchange for food. And we will be slaves to the king, together with our land. Give us seed to plant. Then we will live and not die. And the land will not become a desert.”

20So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for the king. Every Egyptian sold Joseph his field, because the hunger was very great. So the land became the king’s. 21And Joseph made the people slaves from one end of Egypt to the other. 22The only land he did not buy was the land the priests owned. They did not need to sell their land because the king paid them for their work. So they had money to buy food.

23Joseph said to the people, “Now I have bought you and your land for the king. So I will give you seed. And you can plant your fields. 24At harvest time you must give one-fifth to the king. You may keep four-fifths for yourselves. Use it as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your families and your children.”

25The people said, “You have saved our lives. If you like, we will become slaves of the king.”

26So Joseph made a law in Egypt, which continues today: One-fifth of everything from the land belongs to the king. The only land the king did not get was the priests’ land.

“Don’t Bury Me in Egypt”

27The Israelites continued to live in the land of Goshen in Egypt. There they got possessions. They had many children and grew in number.

28Jacob, also called Israel, lived in Egypt 17 years. So he lived to be 147 years old. 29Israel knew he soon would die. So he called his son Joseph to him. He said to Joseph, “If you love me, put your hand under my leg.# This showed that a person would keep a promise. Promise me you will not bury me in Egypt. 30When I die, carry me out of Egypt. Bury me where my ancestors are buried.”

Joseph answered, “I will do as you say.”

31Then Jacob said, “Promise me.” And Joseph promised him that he would do this. Then Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his walking stick.

Choose your language

Genesis 47