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.”

Learn More

Genesis 46

1And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba; and he offered sacrifices to the God#GodHebrew: Elohim of his father Isaac. 2And God#GodHebrew: Elohim spoke to Israel in the visions of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob! And he said, Here am I. 3And he said, I am ·God#GodHebrew: El the God#GodHebrew: Elohim of thy father: fear not to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation. 4I will go down with thee to Egypt, and I will also certainly bring thee up; and Joseph shall put his hand on 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, on the waggons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6And they took their cattle, and their goods which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to 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 he brought with him to Egypt. 8And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt: Jacob and his sons. Jacob's firstborn, Reuben. 9And the sons of Reuben: Enoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. 10— And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Saul the son of a Canaanitish woman. 11— And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12— And the sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pherez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pherez were Hezron and Hamul. 13— And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puah, and Job, and Shimron. 14— And the sons of Zebulun: Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. 15— These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan-Aram; and his daughter, Dinah. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three. 16And the sons of Gad: Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli. 17— And the sons of Asher: Jimnah, and Jishvah, and Jishvi, and Beriah; and Serah their sister; and the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18— These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and she bore these to Jacob: sixteen souls. 19The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asnath bore to him, the daughter of Potipherah the priest in On. 21— And the sons of Benjamin: Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. 22— These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen. 23And the sons of Dan: Hushim. 24— And the sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. 25— These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter; and she bore these to Jacob: all the souls were seven. 26All the souls that came with Jacob to Egypt, that had come out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives: all the souls were sixty-six. 27And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob that came to Egypt were seventy.

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

First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Learn More

Choose your language

Genesis 46

Genesis 46