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24 But when the plants are ready to eat, you must give one fifth part to Pharaoh. You may keep the other four parts. You may keep it for seed to plant again and you may eat it. It will be food for you, for your people and for your children.’ 25 The people said, ‘You have saved our lives! Because you have been kind to us, we agree to become Pharaoh's slaves.’

26 So Joseph made a law which everybody in Egypt has to obey. The law says that one fifth of all food that people grow belongs to Pharaoh. Only the priests' land did not become Pharaoh's land. This law still has authority today.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 47:26 ‘still has authority today’ means that the law was still there when Genesis was written.

24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth(A) 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;(B) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”(C)

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

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