Genesis 47
47
1Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him, “My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and everything they own have come from Canaan. Right now they are in Goshen.”
2-3a He had taken five of his brothers with him and introduced them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked them, “What kind of work do you do?”
3b-4 “Your servants are shepherds, the same as our fathers were. We have come to this country to find a new place to live. There is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine has been very bad there. Please, would you let your servants settle in the region of Goshen?”
5-6Pharaoh looked at Joseph. “So, your father and brothers have arrived—a reunion! Egypt welcomes them. Settle your father and brothers on the choicest land—yes, give them Goshen. And if you know any among them that are especially good at their work, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
7-8Next Joseph brought his father Jacob in and introduced him to Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How old are you?”
9-10Jacob answered Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are 130—a short and hard life and not nearly as long as my ancestors were given.” Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left.
11-12Joseph settled his father and brothers in Egypt, made them proud owners of choice land—it was the region of Rameses (that is, Goshen)—just as Pharaoh had ordered. Joseph took good care of them—his father and brothers and all his father’s family, right down to the smallest baby. He made sure they had plenty of everything.
* * *
13-15The time eventually came when there was no food anywhere. The famine was very bad. Egypt and Canaan alike were devastated by the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan to pay for the distribution of food. He banked the money in Pharaoh’s palace. When the money from Egypt and Canaan had run out, the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Food! Give us food! Are you going to watch us die right in front of you? The money is all gone.”
16-17Joseph said, “Bring your livestock. I’ll trade you food for livestock since your money’s run out.” So they brought Joseph their livestock. He traded them food for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year in exchange for all their livestock.
18-19When that year was over, the next year rolled around and they were back, saying, “Master, it’s no secret to you that we’re broke: our money’s gone and we’ve traded you all our livestock. We’ve nothing left to barter with but our bodies and our farms. What use are our bodies and our land if we stand here and starve to death right in front of you? Trade us food for our bodies and our land. We’ll be slaves to Pharaoh and give up our land—all we ask is seed for survival, just enough to live on and keep the farms alive.”
20-21So Joseph bought up all the farms in Egypt for Pharaoh. Every Egyptian sold his land—the famine was that bad. That’s how Pharaoh ended up owning all the land and the people ended up slaves; Joseph reduced the people to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other.
22Joseph made an exception for the priests. He didn’t buy their land because they received a fixed salary from Pharaoh and were able to live off of that salary. So they didn’t need to sell their land.
23-24Joseph then announced to the people: “Here’s how things stand: I’ve bought you and your land for Pharaoh. In exchange I’m giving you seed so you can plant the ground. When the crops are harvested, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and keep four-fifths for yourselves, for seed for yourselves and your families—you’re going to be able to feed your children!”
25They said, “You’ve saved our lives! Master, we’re grateful and glad to be slaves to Pharaoh.”
26Joseph decreed a land law in Egypt that is still in effect, A Fifth Goes to Pharaoh. Only the priests’ lands were not owned by Pharaoh.
* * *
27-28And so Israel settled down in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property and flourished. They became a large company of people. Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years. In all, he lived 147 years.
29-30When the time came for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said, “Do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh, a sign that you’re loyal and true to me to the end. Don’t bury me in Egypt. When I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me alongside them.”
“I will,” he said. “I’ll do what you’ve asked.”
31Israel said, “Promise me.” Joseph promised.
Israel bowed his head in submission and gratitude from his bed.
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Genesis 47: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Bereshis 47
47
1Then Yosef came and told Pharaoh, and said, Avi and my achim, and their tzon, and their bakar, and all that they have, are come out of Eretz Kena'an; and they are now in Eretz Goshen.
2And he took some of his achim, even five anashim, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
3And Pharaoh said unto his achim, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy avadim are roeh tzon, both we, and also Avoteinu.
4They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy avadim have no mireh (pasture) for their tzon; for the ra'av (famine) is heavy in Eretz Kena'an; now therefore, let now thy avadim dwell in Eretz Goshen.
5And Pharaoh spoke unto Yosef, saying, Avicha and acheicha are come unto thee;
6Eretz Mitzrayim is before thee; in the best of the land make avicha and acheicha to dwell; in Eretz Goshen let them dwell; and if thou knowest any anshei chayil among them, then make them sarei mikneh (royal overseers of livestock) of mine.
7And Yosef brought in Ya'akov aviv, and set him before Pharaoh; and Ya'akov made on Pharaoh a brocha.
8And Pharaoh said unto Ya'akov, How old art thou?
9And Ya'akov said unto Pharaoh, The days of the shanim of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty shanah; few and bad have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my avot in the days of their pilgrimage.
10And Ya'akov made a brocha on Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
11And Yosef settled aviv and his achim, and gave them an achuzzah (possession) in Eretz Mitzrayim, in the best of the land, in Eretz Ra'meses, just as Pharaoh had commanded.
12And Yosef provided for aviv, and his achim, and kol bais aviv, with lechem, according to the children.
13And there was no lechem in kol ha'aretz; for the ra'av was very heavy, so that Eretz Mitzrayim and kol Eretz Kena'an fainted by reason of the ra'av (famine).
14And Yosef gathered up all the kesef that was found in the Eretz Mitzrayim, and in Eretz Kena'an, for the shever (grain) which they bought; and Yosef brought the kesef into Bais Pharaoh (Pharaohʼs palace).
15And when kesef failed in Eretz Mitzrayim, and in Eretz Kena'an, kol Mitzrayim came unto Yosef, and said, Give us lechem; for why should we die in thy presence? For the kesef is gone.
16And Yosef said, Give your mikneh; and I will give you for your mikneh, if kesef is gone.
17And they brought their mikneh unto Yosef; and Yosef gave them lechem in exchange for susim, and for the tzon, and for the mikneh of the bakar, and for the chamorim; and he fed them lechem for all their mikneh for that year.
18When that year was ended, they came unto him the shanah hashenit, and said unto him, We will not hide it from adoni, how that our kesef is spent; adoni also hath our mikneh of behemah; there is not ought left in the sight of adoni, but geviyyatenu (our bodies), and adematenu (our lands);
19Why shall we die before thine eyes, both we and adematenu? Buy us and adematenu for lechem, and we and adematenu will be avadim unto Pharaoh; and give us zera, that we may live, and not die, that the adamah be not desolate.
20And Yosef bought kol Admat Mitzrayim for Pharaoh; for the Mitzrayim sold every ish his sadeh, because the ra'av (famine) was chazak over them; so the land became Pharaohʼs.
21And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Mitzrayim even to the other end thereof.
22Only the admat hakohanim bought he not; for the kohanim had a chok assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their chok which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they sold not their lands.
23Then Yosef said unto the people, See, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is zera for you, and ye shall sow the adamah.
24And it shall come to pass in the tevu'ot, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for zera of the sadeh, and for your ochel, and for them of your batim, and for food for your children.
25And they said, Thou hast saved our lives; let us find chen (grace, favor) in the sight of adoni, and we will be avadim to Pharaoh.
26And Yosef made it a chok over Eretz Mitzrayim unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the admat hakohanim only, which became not Pharaohʼs.
27And Yisroel settled in Eretz Mitzrayim, in Eretz Goshen; and they acquired property therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
[VAYAHI]
28And Ya'akov lived in Eretz Mitzrayim seventeen shanah; so the whole age of Ya'akov was a hundred forty and seven shanah.
29And the time drew near that Yisroel must die; and he called bno Yosef, and said unto him, If now I have found chen in thy sight, put, now, thy yad under my thigh, and do chesed and emes with me; bury me not, now, in Mitzrayim;
30But I will lie with my avot, and thou shalt carry me out of Mitzrayim, and bury me in their kever. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
31And he said, Swear unto me. And he swore unto him. And Yisroel prostrated toward the rosh hamittah.
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