Genesis 47

Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

1So Joseph #ch. 46:31 went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in #See ch. 45:10the land of Goshen.” 2And from among his brothers he took five men and #Acts 7:13presented them to Pharaoh. 3Pharaoh said to his brothers, #ch. 46:33 “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, #ch. 46:32, 34“Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” 4They said to Pharaoh, #ch. 15:13; Deut. 26:5 “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell #ch. 46:34in the land of Goshen.” 5Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers #ch. 45:18 in the best of the land. #ver. 4 Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any #Ex. 18:21, 25able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

7Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, #ver. 10and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” 9And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my #1 Chr. 29:15; Ps. 39:12; 119:19, 54; Heb. 11:9, 13 sojourning are 130 years. #Job 14:1; [Ps. 39:4, 5; James 4:14] Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and #ch. 11:32; 25:7; 35:28they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their #1 Chr. 29:15; Ps. 39:12; 119:19, 54; Heb. 11:9, 13 sojourning.” 10And Jacob #ver. 7blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of #Ex. 1:11; 12:37; [ch. 45:10] Rameses, #ver. 6as Pharaoh had commanded. 12And Joseph #ch. 45:11; 50:21provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

Joseph and the Famine

13Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. 14#ch. 41:56And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. #ver. 19Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” 16And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” 17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. 19Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? #[Neh. 5:2, 3]Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh’s. 21As for the people, he made servants of them#47:21 Samaritan, Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt to the other. 22#[Ezra 7:24]Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

23Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24And at the harvests you shall give a #ch. 41:34fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25And they said, “You have saved our lives; #See ch. 33:15may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; #ver. 22the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.

27Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, #See ch. 45:10 in the land of Goshen. #ch. 46:3And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. #[ver. 9]So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

29And #Deut. 31:14; 1 Kgs. 2:1 when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now #See ch. 33:15 I have found favor in your sight, #ch. 24:2 put your hand under my thigh and #ch. 24:49 promise to deal kindly and truly with me. #[ch. 50:25]Do not bury me in Egypt, 30but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and #ch. 49:29; 50:5, 13bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” 31And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then #ch. 48:2; 1 Kgs. 1:47; [Heb. 11:21]Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.#47:31 Hebrew; Septuagint staff

Genesis 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

Genesis 47