Font Size
Genesis 47:13-26
New English Translation
Genesis 47:13-26
New English Translation
13 But there was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe; the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away[a] because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment[b] for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace.[c] 15 When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was used up, all the Egyptians[d] came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die[e] before your very eyes because our money has run out?”
16 Then Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food[f] in exchange for[g] your livestock.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their horses, the livestock of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys.[h] He got them through that year by giving them food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our[i] lord that the money is used up and the livestock and the animals belong to our lord. Nothing remains before our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become[j] Pharaoh’s slaves.[k] Give us seed that we may live[l] and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.”[m]
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each[n] of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe.[o] So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 Joseph[p] made all the people slaves[q] from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. 22 But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
23 Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate[r] the land. 24 When the crop comes in, give[s] one-fifth of it to Pharaoh. The remaining four-fifths will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” 25 They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor,[t] and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”[u]
26 So Joseph made it a statute,[v] which is in effect[w] to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 47:13 tn The verb לַהַה (lahah, = לָאָה, laʾah) means “to faint, to languish”; it figuratively describes the land as wasting away, drooping, being worn out.
- Genesis 47:14 tn Or “in exchange.” On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.
- Genesis 47:14 tn Heb “house.”
- Genesis 47:15 tn Heb “all Egypt.” The expression is a metonymy and refers to all the people of Egypt.
- Genesis 47:15 tn The imperfect verbal form has a deliberative force here.
- Genesis 47:16 tn The word “food” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 47:16 tn On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.
- Genesis 47:17 tn The definite article is translated here as a possessive pronoun.
- Genesis 47:18 tn Heb “my.” The expression “my lord” occurs twice more in this verse.
- Genesis 47:19 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.
- Genesis 47:19 sn Pharaoh’s slaves. The idea of slavery is not attractive to the modern mind, but in the ancient world it was the primary way of dealing with the poor and destitute. If the people became slaves of Pharaoh, it was Pharaoh’s responsibility to feed them and care for them. It was the best way for them to survive the famine.
- Genesis 47:19 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.
- Genesis 47:19 tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav plus subject plus negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.
- Genesis 47:20 tn The Hebrew text connects this clause with the preceding one with a causal particle (כִּי, ki). The translation divides the clauses into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 47:20 tn The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 47:21 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 47:21 tc The MT reads “and the people he removed to the cities,” which does not make a lot of sense in this context. Smr and the LXX read “he enslaved them as slaves.”
- Genesis 47:23 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.
- Genesis 47:24 tn The perfect form with the vav (ו) consecutive is equivalent to an imperfect of instruction here.
- Genesis 47:25 tn Heb “we find favor in the eyes of my lord.” Some interpret this as a request, “may we find favor in the eyes of my lord.”
- Genesis 47:25 sn Slaves. See the note on this word in v. 21.
- Genesis 47:26 tn On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” VT 16 (1966): 358-61.
- Genesis 47:26 tn The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 47:13-26
Legacy Standard Bible
Genesis 47:13-26
Legacy Standard Bible
Joseph and the Famine
13 Now there was no [a]food in all the land because the famine was very heavy, so that (A)the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 (B)And Joseph gathered 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 Then the money came to an end in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan. So all the Egyptians came to Joseph [b]and said, “Give us [c]food, for (C)why should we die in your presence? For our money [d]is gone.” 16 Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money [e]is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them [f]food in exchange for the horses and the [g]flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he [h]fed them with [i]food in exchange for all their livestock [j]that year. 18 Then that year came to an end. And they came to him the [k]next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money has come to an end, and the [l]livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left [m]for my lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for [n]food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for [o]every Egyptian sold his field because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they ate off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. 24 And it will be, at the harvest you shall give a (D)fifth to Pharaoh, and [p]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 kept us alive! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26 And Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; (E)only the land of the priests [q]did not become Pharaoh’s.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 47:13 Or bread
- Genesis 47:15 Lit saying
- Genesis 47:15 Or bread
- Genesis 47:15 Lit ceases
- Genesis 47:16 Lit ceases
- Genesis 47:17 Or bread
- Genesis 47:17 Lit livestock of the flocks and livestock of the herds
- Genesis 47:17 Lit led them as a shepherd
- Genesis 47:17 Or bread
- Genesis 47:17 Lit in that year
- Genesis 47:18 Lit second
- Genesis 47:18 Lit livestock of the cattle
- Genesis 47:18 Lit in the presence of
- Genesis 47:19 Or bread
- Genesis 47:20 Lit Egypt, every man
- Genesis 47:24 Lit four parts
- Genesis 47:26 Lit alone did
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
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.