Genesis 45-50
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joseph Reveals His Identity
45 Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants,[a] so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers.(A) 2 But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt.(B) 5 And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.(C) 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7 God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.[b] 8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 “Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. 10 You can settle in the land of Goshen(D) and be near me—you, your children, and grandchildren, your sheep, cattle, and all you have. 11 There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.”’(E) 12 Look! Your eyes and my brother Benjamin’s eyes can see that it is I , Joseph, who am[c] speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.”(F)
14 Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. 15 Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept,[d] and afterward his brothers talked with him.
The Return for Jacob
16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan. 18 Get your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you can eat from the richness of the land.’ 19 You are also commanded, ‘Do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your young children and your wives and bring your father here.(G) 20 Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”(H)
21 The sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave each of the brothers changes of clothes,(I) but he gave Benjamin 300 pieces of silver and five changes of clothes.(J) 23 He sent his father the following: 10 donkeys carrying the best products of Egypt and 10 female donkeys carrying grain, food, and provisions for his father on the journey. 24 So Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t argue on the way.”
25 So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned,[e] for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”
Jacob Leaves for Egypt
46 Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba,(K) and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 That night God spoke to Israel in a vision:(L) “Jacob, Jacob!” He said.
And Jacob replied, “Here I am.”
3 God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.(M) 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back.(N) Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.”[f](O)
5 Jacob left Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him,(P) along with their children and their wives. 6 They also took their cattle and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Then Jacob and all his children went with him to Egypt.(Q) 7 His sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters, indeed all his offspring, he brought with him to Egypt.
Jacob’s Family
8 These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt:(R)
Jacob’s firstborn: Reuben.
9 Reuben’s sons:(S) Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 Simeon’s sons:(T) Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 Levi’s sons:(U) Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
Perez’s sons:(V) Hezron and Hamul.
13 Issachar’s sons:(W) Tola, Puvah,[g] Jashub,[h] and Shimron.
14 Zebulun’s sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These were Leah’s sons born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, as well as his daughter Dinah. The total number of persons:[i] 33.
16 Gad’s sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 Asher’s sons:(X) Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.
Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malchiel.
18 These were the sons of Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—that she bore to Jacob: 16 persons.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. They were born to him by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, a priest at On.[j]
21 Benjamin’s sons:(Y) Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22 These were Rachel’s sons who were born to Jacob: 14 persons.
23 Dan’s son:[k] Hushim.
24 Naphtali’s sons:(Z) Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel.(AA) She bore to Jacob: seven persons.
26 The total number of persons belonging to Jacob—his direct descendants,[l] not including the wives of Jacob’s sons—who came to Egypt: 66.
27 And Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt: two persons.
All those of Jacob’s household who had come to Egypt: 70[m] persons.(AB)
Jacob Arrives in Egypt
28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival[n] at Goshen.(AC) When they came to the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.(AD)
30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen your face and know you are still alive!”
31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him: My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.(AE) 32 The men are shepherds; they also raise livestock. They have brought their sheep and cattle and all that they have. 33 When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you are to say, ‘Your servants, both we and our fathers, have raised livestock[o] from our youth until now.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are abhorrent to Egyptians.”(AF)
Pharaoh Welcomes Jacob
47 So Joseph went and informed Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers, with their sheep and cattle and all that they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the land of Goshen.”(AG)
2 He took five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.(AH) 3 Then Pharaoh asked his brothers, “What is your occupation?”
And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants, both we and our fathers, are shepherds.”(AI) 4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants’ sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe.(AJ) So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you, 6 the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land.(AK) They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”(AL)
7 Joseph then brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Then Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?”[p]
9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “My pilgrimage(AM) has lasted 130 years. My years have been few and hard,(AN) and they have not surpassed the years of my fathers during their pilgrimages.”(AO) 10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from Pharaoh’s presence.
11 Then Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the land of Rameses,(AP) as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food for their dependents.(AQ)
The Land Becomes Pharaoh’s
13 But there was no food in that entire region, for the famine was very severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan were exhausted by the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were purchasing, and he brought the money to Pharaoh’s palace.(AR) 15 When the money from the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die here in front of you? The money is gone!”
16 But Joseph said, “Give me your livestock. Since the money is gone, I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for the horses, the herds of sheep, the herds of cattle, and the donkeys. That year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our lord that the money is gone and that all our livestock belongs to our lord. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die here in front of you—both us and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed so that we can live and not die, and so that the land won’t become desolate.”
20 In this way, Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field since the famine was so severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph moved the people to the cities[q] from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 The only land he didn’t acquire was the priests’ portion, for it was given to them by Pharaoh. They lived off[r] the rations Pharaoh had given them; therefore they did not sell their land.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you. Sow it in the land. 24 At harvest, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh,(AS) and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your households, and your dependents.”
25 And they said, “You have saved our lives. We have found favor in our lord’s eyes and will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26 So Joseph made it a law, still in effect today in the land of Egypt, that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.
Israel Settles in Goshen
27 Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property in it and became fruitful and very numerous.(AT) 28 Now Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years, and his life span was 147 years. 29 When the time drew near for him to die,(AU) he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh(AV) and promise me that you will deal with me in kindness and faithfulness.(AW) Do not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I rest with my fathers, carry me away from Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”(AX)
Joseph answered, “I will do what you have asked.”
31 And Jacob said, “Swear to me.” So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed in thanks at the head of his bed.[s](AY)
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
48 Some time after this, Joseph was told, “Your father is weaker.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty(AZ) appeared to me at Luz(BA) in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and numerous; I will make many nations come from you, and I will give this land as an eternal possession(BB) to your future descendants.’(BC) 5 Your two sons(BD) born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine.(BE) Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do. 6 Children born to you after them will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7 When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way,(BF) some distance from Ephrath in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way to Ephrath,” (that is, Bethlehem).
8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?”
9 And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons God has given me here.”
So Jacob said, “Bring them to me and I will bless them.”(BG) 10 Now his eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly[t] see.(BH) Joseph brought them to him, and he kissed and embraced them.(BI) 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, but now God has even let me see your offspring.” 12 Then Joseph took them from his father’s knees and bowed with his face to the ground.(BJ)
Ephraim’s Greater Blessing
13 Then Joseph took them both—with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel’s left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel’s right—and brought them to Israel. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and crossing his hands, put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.(BK) 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said:
The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,(BL)
the God who has been my shepherd(BM) all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm(BN)—
may He bless these boys.
And may they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(BO)
and may they grow to be numerous within the land.
17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he thought it was a mistake[u] and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not that way, my father! This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know! He too will become a tribe,[v] and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation.”[w] 20 So he blessed them that day with these words:
The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying,
“May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,”
putting Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.(BP) 22 Over and above what I am giving your brothers, I am giving you the one mountain slope[x] that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow.”(BQ)
Jacob’s Last Words
49 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather around, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.[y](BR)
2 Come together and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel:
3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,(BS)
my strength and the firstfruits of my virility,(BT)
excelling in prominence, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as water, you will no longer excel,
because you got into your father’s bed(BU)
and you defiled it—he[z] got into my bed.
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers;
their knives are vicious weapons.(BV)
6 May I never enter their council;
may I never join their assembly.
For in their anger they kill men,
and on a whim they hamstring oxen.
7 Their anger is cursed, for it is strong,
and their fury, for it is cruel!
I will disperse them throughout Jacob
and scatter them throughout Israel.(BW)
8 Judah, your brothers will praise you.(BX)
Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.(BY)
9 Judah is a young lion(BZ)—
my son, you return from the kill.
He crouches; he lies down like a lion
or a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah
or the staff from between his feet
until He whose right it is comes[aa](CA)
and the obedience of the peoples belongs to Him.(CB)
11 He ties his donkey to a vine,
and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine
and his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.
13 Zebulun will live by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships,
and his territory will be next to Sidon.(CC)
14 Issachar is a strong donkey
lying down between the saddlebags.[ab]
15 He saw that his resting place was good
and that the land was pleasant,
so he leaned his shoulder to bear a load
and became a forced laborer.(CD)
16 Dan will judge his people(CE)
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 He will be a snake by the road,
a viper beside the path,
that bites the horses’ heels
so that its rider falls backward.
18 I wait for Your salvation, Lord.
19 Gad will be attacked by raiders,
but he will attack their heels.(CF)
21 Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.(CH)
22 Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine beside a spring;
its branches[ad] climb over the wall.[ae]
23 The archers attacked him,
shot at him, and were hostile toward him.
24 Yet his bow remained steady,
and his strong[af] arms were made agile
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,(CI)
by the name of[ag] the Shepherd,(CJ) the Rock of Israel,(CK)
25 by the God of your father who helps you,
and by the Almighty who blesses you
with blessings of the heavens above,
blessings of the deep that lies below,
and blessings of the breasts and the womb.
26 The blessings of your father excel
the blessings of my ancestors[ah]
and[ai] the bounty of the eternal hills.[aj](CL)
May they rest on the head of Joseph,
on the crown of the prince of his brothers.
27 Benjamin is a wolf; he tears his prey.
In the morning he devours the prey,
and in the evening he divides the plunder.”(CM)
28 These are the tribes of Israel, 12 in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.
Jacob’s Burial Instructions
29 Then he commanded them: “I am about to be gathered to my people.(CN) Bury me with my fathers(CO) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.(CP) 30 The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.(CQ) 31 Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there,(CR) Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there,(CS) and I buried Leah there.(CT) 32 The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and died. He was gathered to his people.
Jacob’s Burial
50 Then Joseph, leaning over his father’s face, wept and kissed him. 2 He commanded his servants who were physicians to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. 3 They took 40 days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him 70 days.(CU)
4 When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell[ak] Pharaoh that 5 my father made me take an oath,(CV) saying, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me there in the tomb that I made for myself in the land of Canaan.’(CW) Now let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.”
6 So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father in keeping with your oath.”
7 Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went with him, 8 along with all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their sheep, and their cattle were left in the land of Goshen. 9 Horses and chariots went up with him; it was a very impressive procession. 10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wept loudly, and Joseph mourned seven days for his father. 11 When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” Therefore the place is named Abel-mizraim.[al] It is across the Jordan.
12 So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.(CX) 14 After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.
Joseph’s Kindness
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him.”(CY)
16 So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before he died your father gave a command: 17 ‘Say this to Joseph: Please forgive your brothers’ transgression and their sin—the suffering they caused you.’ Therefore, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept(CZ) when their message came to him. 18 Then his brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?(DA) 20 You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.(DB) 21 Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your little ones.”(DC) And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.[am]
Joseph’s Death
22 Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation;(DD) the sons of Manasseh’s son Machir were recognized by[an][ao] Joseph.(DE)
24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die,(DF) but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land He promised Abraham,(DG) Isaac,(DH) and Jacob.”(DI) 25 So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.”(DJ)
26 Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:1 Lit all those standing about him
- Genesis 45:7 Or keep alive for you many survivors
- Genesis 45:12 Lit that my mouth is
- Genesis 45:15 Lit brothers, and he wept over them
- Genesis 45:26 Lit Jacob’s heart was numb
- Genesis 46:4 = Joseph will close your eyes after you die
- Genesis 46:13 Sam, Syr read Puah; 1Ch 7:1
- Genesis 46:13 Sam, LXX; MT reads Iob
- Genesis 46:15 Lit All persons his sons and his daughters
- Genesis 46:20 Or Heliopolis
- Genesis 46:23 Alt Hb tradition reads sons
- Genesis 46:26 Lit Jacob who came out from his loins
- Genesis 46:27 LXX reads 75; Ac 7:14
- Genesis 46:28 Lit to give directions before him
- Genesis 46:34 Lit fathers, are men of livestock
- Genesis 47:8 Lit many are the days of the years
- Genesis 47:21 Sam, LXX, Vg read and he made the people servants
- Genesis 47:22 Lit They ate
- Genesis 47:31 Or Israel worshiped while leaning on the top of his staff
- Genesis 48:10 Lit he was not able to
- Genesis 48:17 Or he was displeased; lit head, it was bad in his eyes
- Genesis 48:19 Lit people
- Genesis 48:19 Or a multitude of nations; lit a fullness of nations
- Genesis 48:22 Or Shechem, Joseph’s burial place; lit one shoulder
- Genesis 49:1 Or in the last days
- Genesis 49:4 LXX, Syr, Tg read you
- Genesis 49:10 Or until tribute comes to him, or until Shiloh comes, or until He comes to Shiloh
- Genesis 49:14 Or sheepfolds
- Genesis 49:20 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads their heel. 20 From Asher
- Genesis 49:22 Lit daughters
- Genesis 49:22 Hb obscure
- Genesis 49:24 Lit and the hands of his
- Genesis 49:24 Syr, Tg; MT reads Jacob, from there
- Genesis 49:26 Or of the mountains
- Genesis 49:26 Lit to
- Genesis 49:26 Hb obscure
- Genesis 50:4 Lit please speak in the ears of
- Genesis 50:11 = Mourning of Egypt
- Genesis 50:21 Lit spoke to their hearts
- Genesis 50:23 Lit were born on the knees of
- Genesis 50:23 Referring to a ritual of adoption or of legitimation; Gn 30:3
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