Jacob Goes to Egypt

46 So Jacob, also called Israel, took all he had and started his trip. He went to Beersheba. There he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ² During the night God spoke to Israel in a vision. He said, “Jacob, Jacob.”

And Jacob answered, “Here I am.”

³ Then God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt. I will make your descendants a great nation there. ⁴ I will go to Egypt with you. And I will bring you out of Egypt again. Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes when you die.”

⁵ Then Jacob left Beersheba. The sons of Israel loaded their father, their children and their wives. They put them in the wagons the king of Egypt had sent. ⁶ They also took their farm animals and everything they had gotten in Canaan. So Jacob went to Egypt with all his descendants. ⁷ He took his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters. He took all his family to Egypt with him.

Jacob’s Family

⁸ Now these are the names of the children of Israel who went into Egypt. (They are Jacob and his descendants.)

Reuben was Jacob’s first son. ⁹ Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

¹⁰ Simeon’s sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul. (Shaul was Simeon’s son by a Canaanite woman.)

¹¹ Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

¹² Judah’s sons were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah. (But Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan.) Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul.

¹³ Issachar’s sons were Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.

¹⁴ Zebulun’s sons were Sered, Elon and Jahleel.

¹⁵ These are the sons of Leah and Jacob born in Northwest Mesopotamia. His daughter Dinah was also born there. There were 33 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

¹⁶ Gad’s sons were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.

¹⁷ Asher’s sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malkiel.

¹⁸ These are Jacob’s sons by Zilpah. She was the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. There were 16 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

¹⁹ The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁰ In Egypt, Joseph became the father of Manasseh and Ephraim by his wife Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

²¹ Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

²² These are the sons of Jacob by his wife Rachel. There were 14 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

²³ Dan’s son was Hushim.

²⁴ Naphtali’s sons were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.

²⁵ These are Jacob’s sons by Bilhah. She was the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. There were 7 persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

²⁶ So the total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went to Egypt was 66. (The wives of Jacob’s sons were not counted in this number.) ²⁷ Joseph had 2 sons born in Egypt. So the total number in the family of Jacob in Egypt was 70.

Jacob Arrives in Egypt

²⁸ Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to see Joseph in Goshen. Then Jacob and his people came into the land of Goshen. ²⁹ Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw his father, he hugged his neck. And he cried there for a long time.

³⁰ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die. I have seen your face. And I know that you are still alive.”

³¹ Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s family, “I will go and tell the king you are here. I will say, ‘My brothers and my father’s family have left the land of Canaan. They have come here to me. ³² They are shepherds and take care of farm animals. And they have brought their flocks and their herds and everything they own with them.’ ³³ When the king calls you, he will ask, ‘What work do you do?’ ³⁴ This is what you should tell him: ‘We, your servants, have taken care of farm animals all our lives. Our ancestors did the same thing.’ Then the king will allow you to settle in the land of Goshen. This is away from the Egyptians. They don’t like to be near shepherds.”