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47 Joseph alla avertir Pharaon, et lui dit: Mes frères et mon père sont arrivés du pays de Canaan, avec leurs brebis et leurs boeufs, et tout ce qui leur appartient; et les voici dans le pays de Gosen.

Il prit cinq de ses frères, et les présenta à Pharaon.

Pharaon leur dit: Quelle est votre occupation? Ils répondirent à Pharaon: Tes serviteurs sont bergers, comme l'étaient nos pères.

Ils dirent encore à Pharaon: Nous sommes venus pour séjourner dans le pays, parce qu'il n'y a plus de pâturage pour les brebis de tes serviteurs, car la famine s'appesantit sur le pays de Canaan; permets donc à tes serviteurs d'habiter au pays de Gosen.

Pharaon dit à Joseph: Ton père et tes frères sont venus auprès de toi.

Le pays d'Égypte est devant toi; établis ton père et tes frères dans la meilleure partie du pays. Qu'ils habitent dans le pays de Gosen; et, si tu trouves parmi eux des hommes capables, mets-les à la tête de mes troupeaux.

Joseph fit venir Jacob, son père, et le présenta à Pharaon. Et Jacob bénit Pharaon.

Pharaon dit à Jacob: Quel est le nombre de jours des années de ta vie?

Jacob répondit à Pharaon: Les jours des années de mon pèlerinage sont de cent trente ans. Les jours des années de ma vie ont été peu nombreux et mauvais, et ils n'ont point atteint les jours des années de la vie de mes pères durant leur pèlerinage.

10 Jacob bénit encore Pharaon, et se retira de devant Pharaon.

11 Joseph établit son père et ses frères, et leur donna une propriété dans le pays d'Égypte, dans la meilleure partie du pays, dans la contrée de Ramsès, comme Pharaon l'avait ordonné.

12 Joseph fournit du pain à son père et à ses frères, et à toute la famille de son père, selon le nombre des enfants.

13 Il n'y avait plus de pain dans tout le pays, car la famine était très grande; le pays d'Égypte et le pays de Canaan languissaient, à cause de la famine.

14 Joseph recueillit tout l'argent qui se trouvait dans le pays d'Égypte et dans le pays de Canaan, contre le blé qu'on achetait; et il fit entrer cet argent dans la maison de Pharaon.

15 Quand l'argent du pays d'Égypte et du pays de Canaan fut épuisé, tous les Égyptiens vinrent à Joseph, en disant: Donne-nous du pain! Pourquoi mourrions-nous en ta présence? car l'argent manque.

16 Joseph dit: Donnez vos troupeaux, et je vous donnerai du pain contre vos troupeaux, si l'argent manque.

17 Ils amenèrent leurs troupeaux à Joseph, et Joseph leur donna du pain contre les chevaux, contre les troupeaux de brebis et de boeufs, et contre les ânes. Il leur fournit ainsi du pain cette année-là contre tous leurs troupeaux.

18 Lorsque cette année fut écoulée, ils vinrent à Joseph l'année suivante, et lui dirent: Nous ne cacherons point à mon seigneur que l'argent est épuisé, et que les troupeaux de bétail ont été amenés à mon seigneur; il ne reste devant mon seigneur que nos corps et nos terres.

19 Pourquoi mourrions-nous sous tes yeux, nous et nos terres? Achète-nous avec nos terres contre du pain, et nous appartiendrons à mon seigneur, nous et nos terres. Donne-nous de quoi semer, afin que nous vivions et que nous ne mourions pas, et que nos terres ne soient pas désolées.

20 Joseph acheta toutes les terres de l'Égypte pour Pharaon; car les Égyptiens vendirent chacun leur champ, parce que la famine les pressait. Et le pays devint la propriété de Pharaon.

21 Il fit passer le peuple dans les villes, d'un bout à l'autre des frontières de l'Égypte.

22 Seulement, il n'acheta point les terres des prêtres, parce qu'il y avait une loi de Pharaon en faveur des prêtres, qui vivaient du revenu que leur assurait Pharaon: c'est pourquoi ils ne vendirent point leurs terres.

23 Joseph dit au peuple: Je vous ai achetés aujourd'hui avec vos terres, pour Pharaon; voici pour vous de la semence, et vous pourrez ensemencer le sol.

24 A la récolte, vous donnerez un cinquième à Pharaon, et vous aurez les quatre autres parties, pour ensemencer les champs, et pour vous nourrir avec vos enfants et ceux qui sont dans vos maisons.

25 Ils dirent: Tu nous sauves la vie! que nous trouvions grâce aux yeux de mon seigneur, et nous serons esclaves de Pharaon.

26 Joseph fit de cela une loi, qui a subsisté jusqu'à ce jour, et d'après laquelle un cinquième du revenu des terres de l'Égypte appartient à Pharaon; il n'y a que les terres des prêtres qui ne soient point à Pharaon.

27 Israël habita dans le pays d'Égypte, dans le pays de Gosen. Ils eurent des possessions, ils furent féconds et multiplièrent beaucoup.

28 Jacob vécut dix-sept ans dans le pays d'Égypte; et les jours des années de la vie de Jacob furent de cent quarante-sept ans.

29 Lorsqu'Israël approcha du moment de sa mort, il appela son fils Joseph, et lui dit: Si j'ai trouvé grâce à tes yeux, mets, je te prie, ta main sous ma cuisse, et use envers moi de bonté et de fidélité: ne m'enterre pas en Égypte!

30 Quand je serai couché avec mes pères, tu me transporteras hors de l'Égypte, et tu m'enterreras dans leur sépulcre. Joseph répondit: Je ferai selon ta parole.

31 Jacob dit: Jure-le-moi. Et Joseph le lui jura. Puis Israël se prosterna sur le chevet de son lit.

Joseph Is Governor of Egypt

47 Then Joseph (A)went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in (B)the land of 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?”

And they said to Pharaoh, (E)“Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.” And they said to Pharaoh, (F)“We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, (G)for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants (H)dwell in the land of Goshen.”

Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. (I)The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell (J)in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob (K)blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

And Jacob said to Pharaoh, (L)“The days of the years of my [a]pilgrimage are (M)one hundred and thirty years; (N)few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and (O)they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” 10 So Jacob (P)blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

11 And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of (Q)Rameses, (R)as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 Then Joseph provided (S)his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.

Joseph Deals with the Famine

13 Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, (T)so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 (U)And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.

15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for (V)why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.”

16 Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he [b]fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.

18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may (W)live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.”

20 Then Joseph (X)bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 And as for the people, he [c]moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. 22 (Y)Only the land of the (Z)priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”

25 So they said, “You have saved (AA)our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” 26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, (AB)except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

Joseph’s Vow to Jacob

27 So Israel (AC)dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and (AD)grew and multiplied exceedingly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years. 29 When the time (AE)drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, please (AF)put your hand under my thigh, and (AG)deal kindly and truly with me. (AH)Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but (AI)let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and (AJ)bury me in their burial place.”

And he said, “I will do as you have said.”

31 Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. So (AK)Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 47:9 Lit. sojourning
  2. Genesis 47:17 supplied
  3. Genesis 47:21 So with MT, Tg.; Sam., LXX, Vg. made the people virtual slaves

Chapter 47

Settlement in Goshen. Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers have come from the land of Canaan, with their flocks and herds and everything else they own; and they are now in the region of Goshen.” He then presented to Pharaoh five of his brothers whom he had selected from their full number. When Pharaoh asked them, “What is your occupation?” they answered, “We, your servants, like our ancestors, are shepherds. We have come,” they continued, “in order to sojourn in this land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, because the famine has been severe in the land of Canaan. So now please let your servants settle in the region of Goshen.”(A) Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and your brothers have come to you, the land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and brothers in the pick of the land. Let them settle in the region of Goshen. And if you know of capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How many years have you lived?” Jacob replied: “The years I have lived as a wayfarer amount to a hundred and thirty. Few and hard have been these years of my life, and they do not compare with the years that my ancestors lived as wayfarers.”[a] 10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and withdrew from his presence.

11 Joseph settled his father and brothers and gave them a holding in Egypt on the pick of the land, in the region of Rameses,[b] as Pharaoh had ordered. 12 And Joseph provided food for his father and brothers and his father’s whole household, down to the youngest.

Joseph’s Land Policy. 13 Since there was no food in all the land because of the extreme severity of the famine, and the lands of Egypt and Canaan were languishing from hunger, 14 Joseph gathered in, as payment for the grain that they were buying, all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan, and he put it in Pharaoh’s house. 15 When all the money in Egypt and Canaan was spent, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, pleading, “Give us food! Why should we perish in front of you? For our money is gone.” 16 “Give me your livestock if your money is gone,” replied Joseph. “I will give you food in return for your livestock.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, and their donkeys. Thus he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock in that year. 18 That year ended, and they came to him in the next one and said: “We cannot hide from my lord that, with our money spent and our livestock made over to my lord, there is nothing left to put at my lord’s disposal except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we and our land perish before your very eyes? Take us and our land in exchange for food, and we will become Pharaoh’s slaves and our land his property; only give us seed, that we may survive and not perish, and that our land may not turn into a waste.”

20 So Joseph acquired all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each of the Egyptians sold his field, since the famine weighed heavily upon them. Thus the land passed over to Pharaoh, 21 and the people were reduced to slavery, from one end of Egypt’s territory to the other. 22 Only the priests’ lands Joseph did not acquire. Since the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived off the allowance Pharaoh had granted them, they did not have to sell their land.

23 Joseph told the people: “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh, here is your seed for sowing the land. 24 But when the harvest is in, you must give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, while you keep four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for yourselves and your households and as food for your children.” 25 “You have saved our lives!” they answered. “We have found favor with my lord; now we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26 Thus Joseph made it a statute for the land of Egypt, which is still in force, that a fifth of its produce should go to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not pass over to Pharaoh.

Israel Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh. 27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. There they acquired holdings, were fertile, and multiplied greatly.(B) 28 [c]Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years; the span of his life came to a hundred and forty-seven years. 29 When the time approached for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him: “If it pleases you, put your hand under my thigh as a sign of your enduring fidelity to me; do not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I lie down with my ancestors, take me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”(C) “I will do as you say,” he replied. 31 But his father demanded, “Swear it to me!” So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed at the head of the bed.[d]

Footnotes

  1. 47:9 Wayfarer…wayfarers: human beings are merely sojourners on earth; cf. Ps 39:13.
  2. 47:11 The region of Rameses: same as the region of Goshen; see note on 45:10.
  3. 47:28–50:26 Supplements to the Joseph story. Most of the material in this section centers on Jacob—his blessing of Joseph’s sons, his farewell testament, and his death and burial in Canaan. Only the last verses (50:15–26) redirect attention to Jacob’s sons, the twelve brothers; they are assured that the reconciliation will not collapse after the death of the patriarch.
  4. 47:31 Israel bowed at the head of the bed: meaning perhaps that he gave a nod of assent and appreciation as he lay on his bed. The oath and gesture are the same as Abraham’s in 24:2. Israel’s bowing here suggests the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams in 37:9–10, when parents and brothers bowed down to Joseph (cf. 42:6; 43:26). By using different vowels for the Hebrew word for “bed,” the Greek version translated it as “staff,” and understood the phrase to mean that he bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his staff; it is thus quoted in Hb 11:21.

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)

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