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

1So Israel left for Egypt with everything he had. When he arrived at Beersheba he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2During the night God spoke to Israel in a vision. “Jacob! Jacob!” he called.

“I'm here,” he replied.

3“I am God, the God of your father! Don't be afraid to go to Egypt, because I will turn you and your descendants#46:3. “And your descendants”: supplied for clarity. into a great nation. 4I will go to Egypt with you, and I promise to bring you back again. And Joseph will personally close your eyes when you die.”

5Then Jacob left Beersheba. His sons took him, their children, and their wives to Egypt using the wagons Pharaoh had sent. 6They also took with them all their livestock and all the personal belongings they had accumulated in the country of Canaan.

So Jacob and everyone in his extended family went to Egypt, 7including all his sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters.

8The following is the genealogy of Israel and his sons who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

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

10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a woman from Canaan.

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

12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. However, Er and Onan died in Canaan.

The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

13The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Job,#46:13. “Job” is given as “Jashub” in Numbers 26:24 and 1 Chronicles 7:1. and Shimron.

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

15These are the sons Leah had for Jacob in Paddan-aram, as well as his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters and grandchildren was thirty-three.

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

17The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.

The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.

18These are the sons of Jacob Zilpah had, the servant given by Laban to his daughter Leah, a total of sixteen children and grandchildren.

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

20The sons Joseph had in the land of Egypt by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On: Manasseh and Ephraim.

21The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22These are the sons that Rachel had for Jacob, a total of fourteen children and grandchildren.

23The son of Dan: Hushim.

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

25These are the sons of Jacob that Bilhah had, the servant given by Laban to his daughter Rachel, a total of seven children and grandchildren.

26All those who were part of Jacob's family who came to Egypt (his blood relatives, apart from wives of Jacob's sons) totaled sixty-six. 27Including the two sons Joseph had in Egypt, the total number of Jacob's family who were in Egypt was seventy.

28Jacob sent Judah on ahead to meet Joseph and find out the way to Goshen. When they arrived in Goshen, 29Joseph ordered his chariot made ready and went to meet his father Israel there. As soon as he arrived, he hugged his father and wept for a long time.

30“Now I can die in peace because I have seen your face again and know you're still alive,” Israel told Joseph.

31Joseph told his brothers and his father's household, “I'm going to go and report to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father's household have arrived from the country of Canaan to join me. 32They are shepherds and keep livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and all their possessions.’

33When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you, ‘What work do you do?’ 34tell him, ‘Your servants have looked after livestock since we were children, both us and our fathers before us.’ That way you'll be able to live here in Goshen, because Egyptians look down on shepherds.”

Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com

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Genesis 46

Genesis 46