1Israel packed up everything he owned and traveled to Beer-sheba. There he offered sacrifices to his father Isaac’s God. 2God said to Israel in a vision at night, “Jacob! Jacob!” and he said, “I’m here.” 3He said, “I am El,#46.3 Or God your father’s God. Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt because I will make a great nation of you there. 4I will go down to Egypt with you, and I promise to bring you out again. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.” 5Then Jacob left Beer-sheba. Israel’s sons put their father Jacob, their children, and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6They took their livestock and their possessions that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and arrived in Egypt, Jacob and all of his children with him. 7His sons and grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—all of his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

8These are the names of the Israelites who went to Egypt, including Jacob and his sons. Jacob’s oldest son was Reuben. 9Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10Simeon’s sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite. 11Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12Judah’s sons were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. Er and Onan both died in the land of Canaan. Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul. 13Issachar’s sons were Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron. 14Zebulun’s sons were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15These are the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram. Her daughter was Dinah. All of these persons, including his sons and daughters, totaled 33.

16Gad’s sons were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17Asher’s sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malchiel. 18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. She bore these to Jacob, a total of 16 persons.

19The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 20To Joseph, in the land of Egypt, were born Manasseh and Ephraim. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis,#46.20 Heb On bore them to him. 21Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22These are Rachel’s sons who were born to Jacob, a total of 14 persons.

23Dan’s son#46.23 Or sons was Hushim. 24Naphtali’s sons were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. She bore these to Jacob, a total of 7 persons. 26All of the persons going to Egypt with Jacob—his own children, excluding Jacob’s sons’ wives—totaled 66 persons. 27Joseph’s sons born to him in Egypt were 2 persons. Thus, all of the persons in Jacob’s household going to Egypt totaled 70.

28Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph so that Joseph could explain the way to Goshen. Then they arrived in the land of Goshen. 29Joseph hitched up his chariot and went to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he arrived, he threw his arms around his neck and wept, embracing him for a long time. 30Israel said to Joseph, “I can die now after seeing your face. You are really still alive!”

Jacob’s household settles in Egypt

31Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “Let me go up and inform Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have arrived. 32The men are shepherds, because they own livestock. They’ve brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33When Pharaoh summons you and says, ‘What do you do?’ 34say, ‘Your servants have owned livestock since we were young, both we and our ancestors,’ so that you will be able to settle in the land of Goshen, since Egyptians think all shepherds are beneath their dignity.”

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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.”

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Genesis 46

Genesis 46