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Genesis 47:13-26
American Standard Version
Genesis 47:13-26
American Standard Version
13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. 14 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 And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for our money faileth. 16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. 17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the [a]flocks, and for the herds, and for the asses: and he [b]fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year. 18 And when that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide from my lord, how that our money is all spent; and the herds of cattle are my lord’s; there is nought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: 19 wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them: and the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 And as for the people, [c]he removed them [d]to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof. 22 Only the land of the priests bought he not: for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land. 23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. 24 And it shall come to pass at the ingatherings, that ye shall give a fifth unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. 25 And they said, Thou hast saved 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 statute concerning the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh’s.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 47:17 Hebrew cattle of the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds.
- Genesis 47:17 Hebrew led them as a shepherd.
- Genesis 47:21 According to Septuagint and Vulgate, he made bondmen of them, from etc.
- Genesis 47:21 Or, according to their cities
Genesis 47:13-26
New International Version
Genesis 47:13-26
New International Version
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.(A) 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,(B) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.(C) 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,(D) all Egypt came to Joseph(E) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?(F) Our money is all gone.”
16 “Then bring your livestock,(G)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.(H)” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,(I) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.(J) 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(K) and our livestock belongs to you,(L) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes(M)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,(N) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.(O) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,(P) 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(Q) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[a](R) from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests,(S) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment(T) 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(U) for you so you can plant the ground.(V) 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth(W) 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;(X) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”(Y)
26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth(Z) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.(AA)
Footnotes
- Genesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities
American Standard Version (ASV)
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