Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

47 Then (A)Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of (B)Goshen.” And he took five men from among his brothers and (C)presented them to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “(D)What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are (E)shepherds, both we and our fathers.” They also said to Pharaoh, “(F)We have come to reside in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for (G)the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, please let your servants (H)live in the land of Goshen.” Then Pharaoh said to [a]Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is [b]at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in (I)the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any (J)capable men among them, then [c]put them in charge of my livestock.”

Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and [d]presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob (K)blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many [e]years have you lived?” So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The [f](L)years of my living abroad are [g]130; few and [h]unpleasant have been the [i]years of my life, nor have they [j]attained (M)the [k]years [l]that my fathers lived during the days of their living abroad.” 10 So Jacob (N)blessed Pharaoh, and went out from [m]his presence. 11 Now Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt, in (O)the best of the land, in the land of (P)Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. 12 Joseph also (Q)provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with [n]food, according to the [o]number of their little ones.

13 Now there was no [p]food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that (R)the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 And (S)Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in payment for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph saying, “Give us [q]food, for (T)why should we die in your presence? For our money is [r]gone.” 16 Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is [s]gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them [t]food in exchange for the horses and the [u]flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he [v]fed them with [w]food in exchange for all their livestock [x]that year. 18 But when that year ended, they came to him the [y]next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord the fact that our money is all spent, and the [z]livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left [aa]for my lord except our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for [ab]food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

Result of the Famine

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for [ac]every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he relocated them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they [ad]lived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, today I have purchased you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. 24 [ae]At the harvest you shall give a (U)fifth to Pharaoh, and [af]four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food, and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.” 25 So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26 Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, valid to this day, that Pharaoh was to have the fifth; (V)only the land of the priests [ag]did not become Pharaoh’s.

27 Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in [ah]Goshen, and they (W)acquired property in it and (X)were fruitful and became very numerous. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for (Y)seventeen years; so the [ai]length of Jacob’s life was 147 years.

29 When [aj](Z)the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, (AA)place your hand under my thigh now and (AB)deal with me in kindness and [ak]faithfulness: please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I (AC)[al]lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in (AD)their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.” 31 And he said, “(AE)Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then (AF)Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

Israel’s Last Days

48 Now it came about after these things that [am]Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons (AG)Manasseh and Ephraim with him. When [an]it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel [ao]collected his strength and sat [ap]up in the bed. Then Jacob said to Joseph, “[aq](AH)God Almighty appeared to me at (AI)Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your [ar]descendants after you as (AJ)an everlasting possession.’ Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; (AK)Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as (AL)Reuben and Simeon are. But your children that you have fathered after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the [as]names of their brothers in their inheritance. Now as for me, when I came from (AM)Paddan, (AN)Rachel died, [at]to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

When Israel (AO)saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” And Joseph said to his father, “(AP)They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, so that (AQ)I may bless them.” 10 Now (AR)the eyes of Israel were so [au]dim from age that he could not see. And [av]Joseph brought them close to him, and he (AS)kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never [aw]expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your [ax]children as well!” 12 Then Joseph [ay]took them from his knees, and (AT)bowed with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although (AU)Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said,

(AV)The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
(AW)The God who has been my shepherd [az]all my life to this day,
16 (AX)The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
(AY)Bless the boys;
And may my name [ba]live on in them,
And the [bb]names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And (AZ)may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 When Joseph saw that his father (BA)placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and (BB)his [bc]descendants shall become [bd]a multitude of nations.” 20 So (BC)he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”

And so he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but (BD)God will be with you, and (BE)bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And I give you one [be]portion more than your brothers, (BF)which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 47:5 Lit Joseph, saying
  2. Genesis 47:6 Lit before you
  3. Genesis 47:6 Lit appoint them rulers
  4. Genesis 47:7 Lit set him before
  5. Genesis 47:8 Lit are the days of the years of your life
  6. Genesis 47:9 Lit days of the years
  7. Genesis 47:9 Lit 130 years
  8. Genesis 47:9 Lit evil
  9. Genesis 47:9 Lit days of the years
  10. Genesis 47:9 Lit reached
  11. Genesis 47:9 Lit days of the years
  12. Genesis 47:9 Lit of the life of my fathers
  13. Genesis 47:10 Lit Pharaoh’s
  14. Genesis 47:12 Or bread
  15. Genesis 47:12 Lit mouth
  16. Genesis 47:13 Or bread
  17. Genesis 47:15 Or bread
  18. Genesis 47:15 Lit at an end
  19. Genesis 47:16 Lit at an end
  20. Genesis 47:17 Or bread
  21. Genesis 47:17 Lit livestock of the flocks and livestock of the herds
  22. Genesis 47:17 Lit led them as a shepherd
  23. Genesis 47:17 Or bread
  24. Genesis 47:17 Lit in that year
  25. Genesis 47:18 Lit second
  26. Genesis 47:18 Lit livestock of the cattle
  27. Genesis 47:18 Lit in the presence of
  28. Genesis 47:19 Or bread
  29. Genesis 47:20 Lit Egypt, every man
  30. Genesis 47:22 Lit ate their allotment
  31. Genesis 47:24 Lit It shall come about...that you shall
  32. Genesis 47:24 Lit four parts
  33. Genesis 47:26 Lit alone did
  34. Genesis 47:27 Lit the land of Goshen
  35. Genesis 47:28 Lit days of Jacob, the years of his life
  36. Genesis 47:29 Lit the days of Israel
  37. Genesis 47:29 Lit truth
  38. Genesis 47:30 I.e., die
  39. Genesis 48:1 Lit one said to Joseph
  40. Genesis 48:2 Lit one told Jacob and said
  41. Genesis 48:2 Lit strengthened himself
  42. Genesis 48:2 Lit upon the bed
  43. Genesis 48:3 Heb El Shaddai
  44. Genesis 48:4 Lit seed
  45. Genesis 48:6 Lit name
  46. Genesis 48:7 Lit upon me
  47. Genesis 48:10 Lit dull
  48. Genesis 48:10 Lit he
  49. Genesis 48:11 Lit assumed
  50. Genesis 48:11 Lit seed
  51. Genesis 48:12 Lit made them come out
  52. Genesis 48:15 Lit from the continuance of me
  53. Genesis 48:16 Lit be called
  54. Genesis 48:16 Lit name
  55. Genesis 48:19 Lit seed
  56. Genesis 48:19 Lit the fullness
  57. Genesis 48:22 Or ridge; lit shoulder; Heb Shechem

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(A) and are now in Goshen.”(B) He chose five of his brothers and presented them(C) before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”(D)

“Your servants(E) are shepherds,(F)” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,(G) because the famine is severe in Canaan(H) and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.(I) So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”(J)

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle(K) your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.(L) Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability,(M) put them in charge of my own livestock.(N)

Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him(O) before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[a] Pharaoh,(P) Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.(Q) My years have been few and difficult,(R) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.(S) 10 Then Jacob blessed[b] Pharaoh(T) 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,(U) the district of Rameses,(V) 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.(W)

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.(X) 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,(Y) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.(Z) 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,(AA) all Egypt came to Joseph(AB) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?(AC) Our money is all gone.”

16 “Then bring your livestock,(AD)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.(AE) 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,(AF) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.(AG) 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(AH) and our livestock belongs to you,(AI) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes(AJ)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,(AK) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.(AL) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,(AM) 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(AN) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[c](AO) from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests,(AP) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment(AQ) 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(AR) for you so you can plant the ground.(AS) 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth(AT) 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;(AU) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”(AV)

26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth(AW) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.(AX)

27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.(AY) They acquired property there(AZ) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.(BA)

28 Jacob lived in Egypt(BB) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.(BC) 29 When the time drew near for Israel(BD) to die,(BE) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(BF) put your hand under my thigh(BG) and promise that you will show me kindness(BH) and faithfulness.(BI) Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers,(BJ) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”(BK)

“I will do as you say,” he said.

31 “Swear to me,”(BL) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,(BM) and Israel(BN) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[d](BO)

Manasseh and Ephraim

48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim(BP) along with him. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel(BQ) rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[e](BR) appeared to me at Luz(BS) in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me(BT) and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers.(BU) I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land(BV) as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’(BW)

“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt(BX) before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,(BY) just as Reuben(BZ) and Simeon(CA) are mine. 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. As I was returning from Paddan,[f](CB) to my sorrow(CC) 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).(CD)

When Israel(CE) saw the sons of Joseph,(CF) he asked, “Who are these?”

“They are the sons God has given me here,”(CG) Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless(CH) them.”

10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.(CI) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them(CJ) and embraced them.(CK)

11 Israel(CL) said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,(CM) and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”(CN)

12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees(CO) and bowed down with his face to the ground.(CP) 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,(CQ) and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel(CR) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,(CS) though he was the younger,(CT) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.(CU)

15 Then he blessed(CV) Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers
    Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,(CW)
the God who has been my shepherd(CX)
    all my life to this day,
16 the Angel(CY) who has delivered me from all harm(CZ)
    —may he bless(DA) these boys.(DB)
May they be called by my name
    and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(DC)
and may they increase greatly
    on the earth.”(DD)

17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand(DE) on Ephraim’s head(DF) 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.”(DG)

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.(DH) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,(DI) and his descendants will become a group of nations.(DJ) 20 He blessed(DK) them that day(DL) and said,

“In your[g] name will Israel(DM) pronounce this blessing:(DN)
    ‘May God make you like Ephraim(DO) and Manasseh.(DP)’”

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you[h](DQ) and take you[i] back to the land of your[j] fathers.(DR) 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[k](DS) than to your brothers,(DT) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword(DU) and my bow.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 47:7 Or greeted
  2. Genesis 47:10 Or said farewell to
  3. Genesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities
  4. Genesis 47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed
  5. Genesis 48:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  6. Genesis 48:7 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  7. Genesis 48:20 The Hebrew is singular.
  8. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  9. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  10. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  11. Genesis 48:22 The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem.