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Genesis 44-50
New Living Translation
Genesis 44-50
New Living Translation
Joseph’s Silver Cup
44 When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: “Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into his sack. 2 Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.
3 The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys. 4 But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, “Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil? 5 Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup,[a] which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!’”
6 When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.
7 “What are you talking about?” the brothers responded. “We are your servants and would never do such a thing! 8 Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.”
10 “That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.”
11 They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. 12 The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! 13 When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.
14 Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. 15 “What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”
16 Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.”
17 “No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.”
Judah Speaks for His Brothers
18 Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.
19 “My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 And we responded, ‘Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him very much.’
21 “And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.’ 22 But we said to you, ‘My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.’ 23 But you told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’
24 “So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said. 25 Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’ 26 we replied, ‘We can’t go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We’ll never get to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27 “Then my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife had two sons, 28 and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since. 29 Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.[b]’
30 “And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life. 31 If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave. 32 My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’
33 “So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”
Joseph Reveals His Identity
45 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.
3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.[c] 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser[d] to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.
9 “Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! 10 You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. 11 I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’”
12 Then Joseph added, “Look! You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph! 13 Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly.” 14 Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. 15 Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him.
Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt
16 The news soon reached Pharaoh’s palace: “Joseph’s brothers have arrived!” Pharaoh and his officials were all delighted to hear this.
17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan. 18 Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.’”
19 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt to carry your little children and your wives, and bring your father here. 20 Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 So the sons of Jacob[e] did as they were told. Joseph provided them with wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. 22 And he gave each of them new clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and 300 pieces[f] of silver. 23 He also sent his father ten male donkeys loaded with the finest products of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies he would need on his journey.
24 So Joseph sent his brothers off, and as they left, he called after them, “Don’t quarrel about all this along the way!” 25 And they left Egypt and returned to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan.
26 “Joseph is still alive!” they told him. “And he is governor of all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn’t believe it. 27 But when they repeated to Jacob everything Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, their father’s spirits revived.
28 Then Jacob exclaimed, “It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I must go and see him before I die.”
Jacob’s Journey to Egypt
46 So Jacob[g] set out for Egypt with all his possessions. And when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac. 2 During the night God spoke to him in a vision. “Jacob! Jacob!” he called.
“Here I am,” Jacob replied.
3 “I am God,[h] the God of your father,” the voice said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation. 4 I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again. You will die in Egypt, but Joseph will be with you to close your eyes.”
5 So Jacob left Beersheba, and his sons took him to Egypt. They carried him and their little ones and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had provided for them. 6 They also took all their livestock and all the personal belongings they had acquired in the land of Canaan. So Jacob and his entire family went to Egypt— 7 sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters—all his descendants.
8 These are the names of the descendants of Israel—the sons of Jacob—who went to Egypt:
Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son. 9 The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul’s mother was a Canaanite woman.)
11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (though Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah,[i] Jashub,[j] and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These were the sons of Leah and Jacob who were born in Paddan-aram, in addition to their daughter, Dinah. The number of Jacob’s descendants (male and female) through Leah was thirty-three.
16 The sons of Gad were Zephon,[k] Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malkiel.
18 These were the sons of Zilpah, the servant given to Leah by her father, Laban. The number of Jacob’s descendants through Zilpah was sixteen.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
20 Joseph’s sons, born in the land of Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephraim. Their mother was Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On.[l]
21 Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22 These were the sons of Rachel and Jacob. The number of Jacob’s descendants through Rachel was fourteen.
23 The son of Dan was Hushim.
24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These were the sons of Bilhah, the servant given to Rachel by her father, Laban. The number of Jacob’s descendants through Bilhah was seven.
26 The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went with him to Egypt, not counting his sons’ wives, was sixty-six. 27 In addition, Joseph had two sons[m] who were born in Egypt. So altogether, there were seventy[n] members of Jacob’s family in the land of Egypt.
Jacob’s Family Arrives in Goshen
28 As they neared their destination, Jacob sent Judah ahead to meet Joseph and get directions to the region of Goshen. And when they finally arrived there, 29 Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father, Jacob. When Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept, holding him for a long time. 30 Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive.”
31 And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s entire family, “I will go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s entire family have come to me from the land of Canaan. 32 These men are shepherds, and they raise livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’”
33 Then he said, “When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, 34 you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’ When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds.”
Jacob Blesses Pharaoh
47 Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, “My father and my brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region of Goshen.”
2 Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 And Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”
They replied, “We, your servants, are shepherds, just like our ancestors. 4 We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there. So please, we request permission to live in the region of Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have joined you here, 6 choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too.”
7 Then Joseph brought in his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 “How old are you?” Pharaoh asked him.
9 Jacob replied, “I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years. But my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors.” 10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court.
11 So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the region of Rameses—to his father and his brothers, and he settled them there, just as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided food for his father and his brothers in amounts appropriate to the number of their dependents, including the smallest children.
Joseph’s Leadership in the Famine
13 Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up, and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan. 14 By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh’s treasury. 15 When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Our money is gone!” they cried. “But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!”
16 Joseph replied, “Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year.
18 But that year ended, and the next year they came again and said, “We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone, and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh. 21 As for the people, he made them all slaves,[o] from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn’t need to sell their land.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. 24 Then when you harvest it, one-fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones.”
25 “You have saved our lives!” they exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.” 26 Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh.
27 Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly. 28 Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt, so he lived 147 years in all.
29 As the time of his death drew near, Jacob[p] called for his son Joseph and said to him, “Please do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me with unfailing love by honoring this last request: Do not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I die, please take my body out of Egypt and bury me with my ancestors.”
So Joseph promised, “I will do as you ask.”
31 “Swear that you will do it,” Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed.[q]
Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim
48 One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, “Your father is failing rapidly.” So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 When Joseph arrived, Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” So Jacob[r] gathered his strength and sat up in his bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[s] appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations. And I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants[t] after you as an everlasting possession.’
5 “Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh.
7 “Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram,[u] Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.”
8 Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. “Are these your sons?” he asked.
9 “Yes,” Joseph told him, “these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt.”
And Jacob said, “Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them.”
10 Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. 11 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!”
12 Joseph moved the boys, who were at their grandfather’s knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. 13 Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand. 14 But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn. 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham
and my father, Isaac, walked—
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life, to this very day,
16 the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm—
may he bless these boys.
May they preserve my name
and the names of Abraham and Isaac.
And may their descendants multiply greatly
throughout the earth.”
17 But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
20 So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. 22 And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land[v] that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
49 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
2 “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,
the child of my vigorous youth.
You are first in rank and first in power.
4 But you are as unruly as a flood,
and you will be first no longer.
For you went to bed with my wife;
you defiled my marriage couch.
5 “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind;
their weapons are instruments of violence.
6 May I never join in their meetings;
may I never be a party to their plans.
For in their anger they murdered men,
and they crippled oxen just for sport.
7 A curse on their anger, for it is fierce;
a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob;
I will disperse them throughout Israel.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
All your relatives will bow before you.
9 Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,[w]
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,[x]
the one whom all nations will honor.
11 He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.
13 “Zebulun will settle by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships;
his borders will extend to Sidon.
14 “Issachar is a sturdy donkey,
resting between two saddlepacks.[y]
15 When he sees how good the countryside is
and how pleasant the land,
he will bend his shoulder to the load
and submit himself to hard labor.
16 “Dan will govern his people,
like any other tribe in Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake beside the road,
a poisonous viper along the path
that bites the horse’s hooves
so its rider is thrown off.
18 I trust in you for salvation, O Lord!
19 “Gad will be attacked by marauding bands,
but he will attack them when they retreat.
20 “Asher will dine on rich foods
and produce food fit for kings.
21 “Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.
22 “Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey,
the foal of a wild donkey at a spring—
one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.[z]
23 Archers attacked him savagely;
they shot at him and harassed him.
24 But his bow remained taut,
and his arms were strengthened
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
25 May the God of your father help you;
may the Almighty bless you
with the blessings of the heavens above,
and blessings of the watery depths below,
and blessings of the breasts and womb.
26 May my fatherly blessings on you
surpass the blessings of my ancestors,[aa]
reaching to the heights of the eternal hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,
who is a prince among his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
devouring his enemies in the morning
and dividing his plunder in the evening.”
28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.
Jacob’s Death and Burial
29 Then Jacob instructed them, “Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 30 This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah. 32 It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites.”
33 When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death.
50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Then Joseph told the physicians who served him to embalm his father’s body; so Jacob[ab] was embalmed. 3 The embalming process took the usual forty days. And the Egyptians mourned his death for seventy days.
4 When the period of mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh’s advisers and said, “Please do me this favor and speak to Pharaoh on my behalf. 5 Tell him that my father made me swear an oath. He said to me, ‘Listen, I am about to die. Take my body back to the land of Canaan, and bury me in the tomb I prepared for myself.’ So please allow me to go and bury my father. After his burial, I will return without delay.”
6 Pharaoh agreed to Joseph’s request. “Go and bury your father, as he made you promise,” he said. 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. He was accompanied by all of Pharaoh’s officials, all the senior members of Pharaoh’s household, and all the senior officers of Egypt. 8 Joseph also took his entire household and his brothers and their households. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 9 A great number of chariots and charioteers accompanied Joseph.
10 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn memorial service, with a seven-day period of mourning for Joseph’s father. 11 The local residents, the Canaanites, watched them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad. Then they renamed that place (which is near the Jordan) Abel-mizraim,[ac] for they said, “This is a place of deep mourning for these Egyptians.”
12 So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them. 13 They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the cave that Abraham had bought as a permanent burial site from Ephron the Hittite.
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
14 After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. 15 But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.
16 So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us 17 to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. 18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.
19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 21 No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.
The Death of Joseph
22 So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. 23 He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own.[ad]
24 “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes
- 44:5 As in Greek version; Hebrew lacks this phrase.
- 44:29 Hebrew to Sheol; also in 44:31.
- 45:7 Or and to save you with an extraordinary rescue. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 45:8 Hebrew a father.
- 45:21 Hebrew Israel; also in 45:28. See note on 35:21.
- 45:22 Hebrew 300 [shekels], about 7.5 pounds or 3.4 kilograms in weight.
- 46:1 Hebrew Israel; also in 46:29, 30. See note on 35:21.
- 46:3 Hebrew I am El.
- 46:13a As in Syriac version and Samaritan Pentateuch (see also 1 Chr 7:1); Hebrew reads Puvah.
- 46:13b As in some Greek manuscripts and Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Num 26:24; 1 Chr 7:1); Hebrew reads Iob.
- 46:16 As in Greek version and Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Num 26:15); Hebrew reads Ziphion.
- 46:20 Greek version reads of Heliopolis.
- 46:27a Greek version reads nine sons, probably including Joseph’s grandsons through Ephraim and Manasseh (see 1 Chr 7:14-20).
- 46:27b Greek version reads seventy-five; see note on Exod 1:5.
- 47:21 As in Greek version and Samaritan Pentateuch; Hebrew reads he moved them all into the towns.
- 47:29 Hebrew Israel; also in 47:31b. See note on 35:21.
- 47:31 Greek version reads and Israel bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. Compare Heb 11:21.
- 48:2 Hebrew Israel; also in 48:8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 21. See note on 35:21.
- 48:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai.
- 48:4 Hebrew seed; also in 48:19.
- 48:7 Hebrew Paddan, referring to Paddan-aram; compare Gen 35:9.
- 48:22 Or an extra ridge of land. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 49:10a Hebrew from between his feet.
- 49:10b Or until tribute is brought to him and the peoples obey; traditionally rendered until Shiloh comes.
- 49:14 Or sheepfolds, or hearths.
- 49:22 Or Joseph is a fruitful tree, / a fruitful tree beside a spring. / His branches reach over the wall. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 49:26 Or of the ancient mountains.
- 50:2 Hebrew Israel. See note on 35:21.
- 50:11 Abel-mizraim means “mourning of the Egyptians.”
- 50:23 Hebrew who were born on Joseph’s knees.
Genesis 44-50
New International Version
Genesis 44-50
New International Version
A Silver Cup in a Sack
44 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house:(A) “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.(B) 2 Then put my cup,(C) the silver one,(D) in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.
3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.(E) 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward,(F) “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?(G) 5 Isn’t this the cup(H) my master drinks from and also uses for divination?(I) This is a wicked thing you have done.’”
6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants(J) to do anything like that!(K) 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan(L) the silver(M) we found inside the mouths of our sacks.(N) So why would we steal(O) silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If any of your servants(P) is found to have it, he will die;(Q) and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.(R)”
10 “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it(S) will become my slave;(T) the rest of you will be free from blame.”(U)
11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward(V) proceeded to search,(W) beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest.(X) And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.(Y) 13 At this, they tore their clothes.(Z) Then they all loaded their donkeys(AA) and returned to the city.
14 Joseph was still in the house(AB) when Judah(AC) and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.(AD) 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done?(AE) Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?(AF)”
16 “What can we say to my lord?(AG)” Judah(AH) replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence?(AI) God has uncovered your servants’(AJ) guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves(AK)—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.(AL)”
17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing!(AM) Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave.(AN) The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”(AO)
18 Then Judah(AP) went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,(AQ) let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry(AR) with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants,(AS) ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’(AT) 20 And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age.(AU) His brother is dead,(AV) and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’(AW)
21 “Then you said to your servants,(AX) ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’(AY) 22 And we said to my lord,(AZ) ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’(BA) 23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’(BB) 24 When we went back to your servant my father,(BC) we told him what my lord(BD) had said.(BE)
25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’(BF) 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’(BG)
27 “Your servant my father(BH) said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.(BI) 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.”(BJ) And I have not seen him since.(BK) 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave(BL) in misery.’(BM)
30 “So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father,(BN) and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life,(BO) 31 sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die.(BP) Your servants(BQ) will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave(BR) in sorrow. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’(BS)
33 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave(BT) in place of the boy,(BU) and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery(BV) that would come on my father.”(BW)
Joseph Makes Himself Known
45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself(BX) before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!”(BY) So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept(BZ) so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.(CA)
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”(CB) But his brothers were not able to answer him,(CC) because they were terrified at his presence.(CD)
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”(CE) When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!(CF) 5 And now, do not be distressed(CG) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,(CH) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.(CI) 6 For two years now there has been famine(CJ) in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant(CK) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.[a](CL)
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.(CM) He made me father(CN) to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.(CO) 9 Now hurry(CP) back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay.(CQ) 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen(CR) and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.(CS) 11 I will provide for you there,(CT) because five years of famine(CU) are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’(CV)
12 “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin,(CW) that it is really I who am speaking to you.(CX) 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt(CY) and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.(CZ)”
14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin(DA) embraced him,(DB) weeping. 15 And he kissed(DC) all his brothers and wept over them.(DD) Afterward his brothers talked with him.(DE)
16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,(DF) Pharaoh and all his officials(DG) were pleased.(DH) 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals(DI) and return to the land of Canaan,(DJ) 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt(DK) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’(DL)
19 “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts(DM) from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never mind about your belongings,(DN) because the best of all Egypt(DO) will be yours.’”
21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,(DP) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.(DQ) 22 To each of them he gave new clothing,(DR) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels[b] of silver and five sets of clothes.(DS) 23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys(DT) loaded with the best things(DU) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.(DV) 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”(DW)
25 So they went up out of Egypt(DX) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.(DY) 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”(DZ) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.(EA) 27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts(EB) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “I’m convinced!(EC) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”(ED)
Jacob Goes to Egypt
46 So Israel(EE) set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba,(EF) he offered sacrifices(EG) to the God of his father Isaac.(EH)
2 And God spoke to Israel(EI) in a vision at night(EJ) and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,”(EK) he replied.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,”(EL) he said. “Do not be afraid(EM) to go down to Egypt,(EN) for I will make you into a great nation(EO) there.(EP) 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.(EQ) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.(ER)”
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba,(ES) and Israel’s(ET) sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts(EU) that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt,(EV) taking with them their livestock and the possessions(EW) they had acquired(EX) in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt(EY) his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.(EZ)
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel(FA) (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:
Reuben the firstborn(FB) of Jacob.
9 The sons of Reuben:(FC)
Hanok, Pallu,(FD) Hezron and Karmi.(FE)
10 The sons of Simeon:(FF)
Jemuel,(FG) Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar(FH) and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 The sons of Levi:(FI)
Gershon,(FJ) Kohath(FK) and Merari.(FL)
12 The sons of Judah:(FM)
Er,(FN) Onan,(FO) Shelah, Perez(FP) and Zerah(FQ) (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).(FR)
The sons of Perez:(FS)
Hezron and Hamul.(FT)
13 The sons of Issachar:(FU)
Tola, Puah,[c](FV) Jashub[d](FW) and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun:(FX)
Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[e](FY) besides his daughter Dinah.(FZ) These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.
16 The sons of Gad:(GA)
Zephon,[f](GB) Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher:(GC)
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.
Their sister was Serah.
The sons of Beriah:
Heber and Malkiel.
18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah,(GD) whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah(GE)—sixteen in all.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel:(GF)
Joseph and Benjamin.(GG) 20 In Egypt, Manasseh(GH) and Ephraim(GI) were born to Joseph(GJ) by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.[g](GK)
21 The sons of Benjamin:(GL)
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.(GM)
22 These were the sons of Rachel(GN) who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah,(GR) whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel(GS)—seven in all.
26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.(GT) 27 With the two sons[h] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt,(GU) the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy[i] in all.(GV)
28 Now Jacob sent Judah(GW) ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen.(GX) When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot(GY) made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.(GZ) As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[j] and wept(HA) for a long time.(HB)
30 Israel(HC) said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”(HD)
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan,(HE) have come to me.(HF) 32 The men are shepherds;(HG) they tend livestock,(HH) and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’(HI) 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’(HJ) 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants(HK) have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’(HL) Then you will be allowed to settle(HM) in the region of Goshen,(HN) for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.(HO)”
47 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan(HP) and are now in Goshen.”(HQ) 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them(HR) before Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”(HS)
“Your servants(HT) are shepherds,(HU)” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,(HV) because the famine is severe in Canaan(HW) and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.(HX) So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”(HY)
5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle(HZ) your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.(IA) Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability,(IB) put them in charge of my own livestock.(IC)”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him(ID) before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[k] Pharaoh,(IE) 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.(IF) My years have been few and difficult,(IG) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.(IH)” 10 Then Jacob blessed[l] Pharaoh(II) and went out from his presence.
11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land,(IJ) the district of Rameses,(IK) as Pharaoh directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.(IL)
Joseph and the Famine
13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.(IM) 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,(IN) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.(IO) 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,(IP) all Egypt came to Joseph(IQ) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?(IR) Our money is all gone.”
16 “Then bring your livestock,(IS)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.(IT)” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,(IU) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.(IV) And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone(IW) and our livestock belongs to you,(IX) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes(IY)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,(IZ) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.(JA) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,(JB) and that the land may not become desolate.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe(JC) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[m](JD) from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests,(JE) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment(JF) Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed(JG) for you so you can plant the ground.(JH) 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth(JI) of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”
25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord;(JJ) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”(JK)
26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth(JL) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.(JM)
27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.(JN) They acquired property there(JO) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.(JP)
28 Jacob lived in Egypt(JQ) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.(JR) 29 When the time drew near for Israel(JS) to die,(JT) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(JU) put your hand under my thigh(JV) and promise that you will show me kindness(JW) and faithfulness.(JX) Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers,(JY) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”(JZ)
“I will do as you say,” he said.
31 “Swear to me,”(KA) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,(KB) and Israel(KC) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[n](KD)
Manasseh and Ephraim
48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim(KE) along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel(KF) rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[o](KG) appeared to me at Luz(KH) in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me(KI) 4 and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers.(KJ) I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land(KK) as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’(KL)
5 “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt(KM) before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,(KN) just as Reuben(KO) and Simeon(KP) are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan,[p](KQ) to my sorrow(KR) Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).(KS)
8 When Israel(KT) saw the sons of Joseph,(KU) he asked, “Who are these?”
9 “They are the sons God has given me here,”(KV) Joseph said to his father.
Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless(KW) them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.(KX) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them(KY) and embraced them.(KZ)
11 Israel(LA) said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,(LB) and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”(LC)
12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees(LD) and bowed down with his face to the ground.(LE) 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand,(LF) and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel(LG) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,(LH) though he was the younger,(LI) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.(LJ)
15 Then he blessed(LK) Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,(LL)
the God who has been my shepherd(LM)
all my life to this day,
16 the Angel(LN) who has delivered me from all harm(LO)
—may he bless(LP) these boys.(LQ)
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(LR)
and may they increase greatly
on the earth.”(LS)
17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand(LT) on Ephraim’s head(LU) he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”(LV)
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.(LW) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,(LX) and his descendants will become a group of nations.(LY)” 20 He blessed(LZ) them that day(MA) and said,
“In your[q] name will Israel(MB) pronounce this blessing:(MC)
‘May God make you like Ephraim(MD) and Manasseh.(ME)’”
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you[r](MF) and take you[s] back to the land of your[t] fathers.(MG) 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[u](MH) than to your brothers,(MI) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword(MJ) and my bow.”
Jacob Blesses His Sons(MK)
49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.(ML)
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,(MO)
my might, the first sign of my strength,(MP)
excelling in honor,(MQ) excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters,(MR) you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.(MS)
5 “Simeon(MT) and Levi(MU) are brothers—
their swords[v] are weapons of violence.(MV)
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,(MW)
for they have killed men in their anger(MX)
and hamstrung(MY) oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury,(MZ) so cruel!(NA)
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.(NB)
8 “Judah,[w](NC) your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck(ND) of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.(NE)
9 You are a lion’s(NF) cub,(NG) Judah;(NH)
you return from the prey,(NI) my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,(NJ)
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[x]
until he to whom it belongs[y] shall come(NK)
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.(NL)
11 He will tether his donkey(NM) to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;(NN)
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.(NO)
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.[z](NP)
13 “Zebulun(NQ) will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.(NR)
14 “Issachar(NS) is a rawboned[aa] donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.[ab](NT)
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,(NU)
he will bend his shoulder to the burden(NV)
and submit to forced labor.(NW)
16 “Dan[ac](NX) will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.(NY)
17 Dan(NZ) will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,(OA)
that bites the horse’s heels(OB)
so that its rider tumbles backward.
22 “Joseph(OL) is a fruitful vine,(OM)
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches(ON) climb over a wall.[af]
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;(OO)
they shot at him with hostility.(OP)
24 But his bow remained steady,(OQ)
his strong arms(OR) stayed[ag] limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,(OS)
because of the Shepherd,(OT) the Rock of Israel,(OU)
25 because of your father’s God,(OV) who helps(OW) you,
because of the Almighty,[ah](OX) who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below,(OY)
blessings of the breast(OZ) and womb.(PA)
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than[ai] the bounty of the age-old hills.(PB)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,(PC)
on the brow of the prince among[aj] his brothers.(PD)
27 “Benjamin(PE) is a ravenous wolf;(PF)
in the morning he devours the prey,(PG)
in the evening he divides the plunder.”(PH)
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,(PI) and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing(PJ) appropriate to him.
The Death of Jacob
29 Then he gave them these instructions:(PK) “I am about to be gathered to my people.(PL) Bury me with my fathers(PM) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,(PN) 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah,(PO) near Mamre(PP) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field(PQ) as a burial place(PR) from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There Abraham(PS) and his wife Sarah(PT) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah(PU) were buried, and there I buried Leah.(PV) 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.[ak](PW)”
33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.(PX)
50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.(PY) 2 Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,(PZ) 3 taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.(QA)
4 When the days of mourning(QB) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,(QC) “If I have found favor in your eyes,(QD) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5 ‘My father made me swear an oath(QE) and said, “I am about to die;(QF) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself(QG) in the land of Canaan.”(QH) Now let me go up and bury my father;(QI) then I will return.’”
6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials(QJ) accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court(QK) and all the dignitaries of Egypt— 8 besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household.(QL) Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.(QM) 9 Chariots(QN) and horsemen[al] also went up with him. It was a very large company.
10 When they reached the threshing floor(QO) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;(QP) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period(QQ) of mourning(QR) for his father.(QS) 11 When the Canaanites(QT) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”(QU) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.[am]
12 So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:(QV) 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,(QW) near Mamre,(QX) which Abraham had bought along with the field(QY) as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.(QZ) 14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.(RA)
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge(RB) against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”(RC) 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions(RD) before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins(RE) and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’(RF) Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.(RG)” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.(RH)
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.(RI) “We are your slaves,”(RJ) they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?(RK) 20 You intended to harm me,(RL) but God intended(RM) it for good(RN) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.(RO) 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.(RP)” And he reassured them and spoke kindly(RQ) to them.
The Death of Joseph
22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years(RR) 23 and saw the third generation(RS) of Ephraim’s(RT) children.(RU) Also the children of Makir(RV) son of Manasseh(RW) were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.[an](RX)
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die.(RY) But God will surely come to your aid(RZ) and take you up out of this land to the land(SA) he promised on oath to Abraham,(SB) Isaac(SC) and Jacob.”(SD) 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath(SE) and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones(SF) up from this place.”(SG)
26 So Joseph died(SH) at the age of a hundred and ten.(SI) And after they embalmed him,(SJ) he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:7 Or save you as a great band of survivors
- Genesis 45:22 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
- Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Puvah
- Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Num. 26:24 and 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Iob
- Genesis 46:15 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 46:16 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 26:15); Masoretic Text Ziphion
- Genesis 46:20 That is, Heliopolis
- Genesis 46:27 Hebrew; Septuagint the nine children
- Genesis 46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5 and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five
- Genesis 46:29 Hebrew around him
- Genesis 47:7 Or greeted
- Genesis 47:10 Or said farewell to
- Genesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities
- Genesis 47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed
- Genesis 48:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
- Genesis 48:7 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 48:20 The Hebrew is singular.
- Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
- Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
- Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
- Genesis 48:22 The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem.
- Genesis 49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
- Genesis 49:10 Or from his descendants
- Genesis 49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Genesis 49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk
- Genesis 49:14 Or strong
- Genesis 49:14 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
- Genesis 49:16 Dan here means he provides justice.
- Genesis 49:19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders.
- Genesis 49:21 Or free; / he utters beautiful words
- Genesis 49:22 Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill
- Genesis 49:24 Or archers will attack … will shoot … will remain … will stay
- Genesis 49:25 Hebrew Shaddai
- Genesis 49:26 Or of my progenitors, / as great as
- Genesis 49:26 Or of the one separated from
- Genesis 49:32 Or the descendants of Heth
- Genesis 50:9 Or charioteers
- Genesis 50:11 Abel Mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians.
- Genesis 50:23 That is, were counted as his
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.