Genesis 47
47
1Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are come out of the land of Chanaan; and behold they stay in the land of Gessen.
2Five men also the last of his brethren, he presented before the king.
3And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: We thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.
4We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be in the land of Gessen.
5The king therefore said to Joseph: Thy father and thy brethren are come to thee.
6The land of Egypt is before thee: make them dwell in the best place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle.
7After this Joseph brought in his father to the king, and presented him before him. And he blessed him.
8And being asked by him: How many are the days of the years of thy life?
9He answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few, and evil. And they are not come up to the days of the pilgrimage of my fathers.
10And blessing the king, he went out.
11But Joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Ramesses, as Pharao had commanded.
12And he nourished them, and all his father's house, allowing food to every one.
13For in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land: more especially of Egypt and Chanaan.
14Out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which they bought, and brought it into the king's treasure.
15And when the buyers wanted money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: Give us bread. Why should we die in thy presence, having now no money?
16And he answered them: Bring your cattle, and for them I will give you food, if you have no money.
17And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses: And he maintained them that year for the exchange of their cattle.
18And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are gone. Neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our bodies and our lands.
19Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? We will be thine, both we and our lands. Buy us to be the king's servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.
20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. And he brought it into Pharao's hands:
21And all its people from one end of the borders of Egypt, even to the other end thereof,
22Except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the public stores. And therefore they were not forced to sell their possessions.
23Then Joseph said to the people: Behold, as you see, both you and your lands belong to Pharao: Take seed and sow the fields,
24That you may have corn. The fifth part you shall give to the king: the other four you shall have for seed, and for food for your families and children.
25And they answered: Our life is in thy hand. Only let my lord look favourably upon us, and we will gladly serve the king.
26From that time unto this day, in the whole land of Egypt, the fifth part is paid to the king: and it is become as a law, except the land of the priests, which was free from this covenant.
27So Israel dwelt in Egypt, that is, in the land of Gessen, and possessed it: and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly.
28And he lived in it seventeen years: and all the days of his life came to a hundred and forty-seven years.
29And when he saw that the day of his death drew nigh, he called his son Joseph, and said to him: If I have found favour in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh, and thou shalt shew me this kindness and truth, not to bury me in Egypt.
30But I will sleep with my fathers; and thou shalt take me away out of this land, and bury me in the burying place of my ancestors. And Joseph answered him: I will do what thou hast commanded.
31And he said: Swear then to me. And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the bed's head.
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Genesis 47: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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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