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Genesis 46
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 46

Migration to Egypt. 1 [a]Israel set out with all that was his. When he arrived at Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called: Jacob! Jacob! He answered, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said: I am God,[b] the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you and I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes.

5 So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba, and the sons of Israel put their father and their wives and children on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 They took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. So Jacob and all his descendants came to Egypt.(A) 7 His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.

8 These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his children, who came to Egypt.

Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn,(B) 9 [c]and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.(C) 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, son of a Canaanite woman.(D) 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.(E) 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah—but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan; and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.(F) 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.(G) 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.(H) 15 These were the sons whom Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, along with his daughter Dinah—thirty-three persons in all, sons and daughters.

16 The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arod, and Areli.(I) 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, with their sister Serah; and the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.(J) 18 These are the children of Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah; these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons in all.

19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In the land of Egypt Joseph became the father of Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore to him.(K) 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ahiram, Shupham, Hupham, and Ard.(L) 22 These are the sons whom Rachel bore to Jacob—fourteen persons in all.

23 The sons of Dan: Hushim.(M) 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.(N) 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel; these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.

26 Jacob’s people who came to Egypt—his direct descendants, not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons—numbered sixty-six persons in all.(O) 27 Together with Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt—two persons—all the people comprising the household of Jacob who had come to Egypt amounted to seventy persons[d] in all.(P)

28 Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that he might meet him in Goshen. On his arrival in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Israel made his appearance, Joseph threw his arms around him and wept a long time on his shoulder. 30 And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”

31 Joseph then said to his brothers and his father’s household: “I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him: ‘My brothers and my father’s household, whose home is in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds, having been owners of livestock;[e] and they have brought with them their flocks and herds, as well as everything else they own.’ 33 So when Pharaoh summons you and asks what your occupation is, 34 you must answer, ‘We your servants, like our ancestors, have been owners of livestock from our youth until now,’ in order that you may stay in the region of Goshen, since all shepherds are abhorrent to the Egyptians.”

Footnotes

  1. 46:1–47:26 Jacob and his family settle in Egypt. Joseph’s economic policies.
  2. 46:3 I am God: more precisely according to the Hebrew text, “I am El.” “El” is here a divine name, not the common noun “god.”
  3. 46:9–27 This genealogical list is based on the clan lists (Nm 26:5–50) from the Mosaic period.
  4. 46:27 Seventy persons: it is difficult to get this exact number by adding up the persons mentioned in the preceding genealogies. One might assume it refers to Jacob and sixty-nine descendants, excluding Er and Onan but including Dinah. Ex 1:5 repeats the number but excludes Jacob. Dt 10:22 refers to seventy persons descending to Egypt. The best solution is to take the number as expressing totality. Since there are seventy nations in chap. 10, it is likely that the text is drawing a parallel between the two entities and suggesting that Israel “represents” the nations before God.
  5. 46:32 Owners of livestock: the phrase occurs only here and in v. 34. The difference between this term and “shepherds” is not clear, for the brothers do not mention it to Pharaoh in 47:3.
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Genesis 46
New King James Version

Jacob’s Journey to Egypt(A)

46 So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to (B)Beersheba, and offered sacrifices (C)to the God of his father Isaac. 2 Then God spoke to Israel (D)in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

3 So He said, “I am God, (E)the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will (F)make of you a great nation there. 4 (G)I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely (H)bring you up again; and (I)Joseph [a]will put his hand on your eyes.”

5 Then (J)Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the [b]carts (K)which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, (L)Jacob and all his descendants with him. 7 His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

8 Now (M)these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: (N)Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. 9 The (O)sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 (P)The sons of Simeon were [c]Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, [d]Jachin, [e]Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of (Q)Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of (R)Judah were (S)Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). (T)The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, [f]Puvah, [g]Job, and Shimron. 14 The (U)sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These were the (V)sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three.

16 The sons of Gad were [h]Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, [i]Ezbon, Eri, [j]Arodi, and Areli. 17 (W)The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. 18 (X)These were the sons of Zilpah, (Y)whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.

19 The (Z)sons of Rachel, (AA)Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. 20 (AB)And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 21 (AC)The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, (AD)Ehi, Rosh, (AE)Muppim, [k]Huppim, and Ard. 22 These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.

23 The son of Dan was [l]Hushim. 24 (AF)The sons of Naphtali were [m]Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and [n]Shillem. 25 (AG)These were the sons of Bilhah, (AH)whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.

26 (AI)All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, (AJ)besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. (AK)All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.

Jacob Settles in Goshen

28 Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, (AL)to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came (AM)to the land of Goshen. 29 So Joseph made ready his (AN)chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and (AO)fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.

30 And Israel said to Joseph, (AP)“Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”

31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, (AQ)“I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the men are (AR)shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ 33 So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, (AS)‘What is your occupation?’ 34 that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ (AT)occupation has been with livestock (AU)from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is (AV)an[o] abomination to the Egyptians.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 46:4 Will close your eyes when you die
  2. Genesis 46:5 wagons
  3. Genesis 46:10 Nemuel, 1 Chr. 4:24
  4. Genesis 46:10 Jarib, 1 Chr. 4:24
  5. Genesis 46:10 Zerah, 1 Chr. 4:24
  6. Genesis 46:13 Puah, Num. 26:23; 1 Chr. 7:1
  7. Genesis 46:13 Jashub, Num. 26:24; 1 Chr. 7:1
  8. Genesis 46:16 Sam., LXX Zephon and Num. 26:15
  9. Genesis 46:16 Ozni, Num. 26:16
  10. Genesis 46:16 Arod, Num. 26:17
  11. Genesis 46:21 Hupham, Num. 26:39
  12. Genesis 46:23 Shuham, Num. 26:42
  13. Genesis 46:24 Jahziel, 1 Chr. 7:13
  14. Genesis 46:24 Shallum, 1 Chr. 7:13
  15. Genesis 46:34 loathsome
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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