Genesis 47
International Children’s Bible
Jacob Settles in Goshen
47 Joseph went in to the king and said, “My father and my brothers have arrived from Canaan. They have their flocks and herds and everything they own with them. They are now in the land of Goshen.” 2 Joseph chose five of his brothers to introduce to the king.
3 The king said to the brothers, “What work do you do?”
And they said to him, “We, your servants, are shepherds. Our ancestors were also shepherds.” 4 They said to the king, “We have come to live in this land. There is no grass in the land of Canaan for our animals to eat. The hunger is very terrible there. So please allow us to live in the land of Goshen.”
5 Then the king said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 You may choose any place in Egypt for them to live. Give your father and your brothers the best land. Let them live in the land of Goshen. And if any of them are skilled shepherds, put them in charge of my sheep and cattle.”
7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and introduced him to the king. And Jacob blessed the king.
8 Then the king said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
9 Jacob said to him, “My life has been spent wandering from place to place. It has been short, filled with trouble. I have lived only 130 years. My ancestors lived much longer than I.” 10 Then Jacob blessed the king and left.
11 Joseph obeyed the king. He gave his father and brothers the best land in Egypt. It was near the city of Rameses. 12 And Joseph gave his father, his brothers and everyone who lived with them the food they needed.
Joseph Buys Land for the King
13 The hunger became worse, and there was no food anywhere in the land. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan became very poor because of this. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan. People paid him this money for the grain they were buying. He brought that money to the king’s palace. 15 After some time, the people in Egypt and Canaan had no money left. So they went to Joseph and said, “Please give us food. Our money is gone. If we don’t eat, we will die here in front of you.”
16 Joseph answered, “Since you have no money, give me your farm animals. I will give you food in return.” 17 So people brought their farm animals to Joseph. And he gave them food in exchange for their horses, sheep, cattle and donkeys. So he kept them alive by trading food for their farm animals that year.
18 The next year the people came to Joseph and said, “You know we have no money left. And all our animals belong to you. We have nothing left except our bodies and our land. 19 Surely both we and our land will die here in front of you. Buy us and our land in exchange for food. And we will be slaves to the king, together with our land. Give us seed to plant. Then we will live and not die. And the land will not become a desert.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for the king. Every Egyptian sold Joseph his field, because the hunger was very great. So the land became the king’s. 21 And Joseph made the people slaves from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 The only land he did not buy was the land the priests owned. They did not need to sell their land because the king paid them for their work. So they had money to buy food.
23 Joseph said to the people, “Now I have bought you and your land for the king. So I will give you seed. And you can plant your fields. 24 At harvest time you must give one-fifth to the king. You may keep four-fifths for yourselves. Use it as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your families and your children.”
25 The people said, “You have saved our lives. If you like, we will become slaves of the king.”
26 So Joseph made a law in Egypt, which continues today: One-fifth of everything from the land belongs to the king. The only land the king did not get was the priests’ land.
“Don’t Bury Me in Egypt”
27 The Israelites continued to live in the land of Goshen in Egypt. There they got possessions. They had many children and grew in number.
28 Jacob, also called Israel, lived in Egypt 17 years. So he lived to be 147 years old. 29 Israel knew he soon would die. So he called his son Joseph to him. He said to Joseph, “If you love me, put your hand under my leg.[a] Promise me you will not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I die, carry me out of Egypt. Bury me where my ancestors are buried.”
Joseph answered, “I will do as you say.”
31 Then Jacob said, “Promise me.” And Joseph promised him that he would do this. Then Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his walking stick.
Footnotes
- 47:29 put . . . leg This showed that a person would keep a promise.
Genesis 47
Het Boek
De farao heet Jakob welkom
47 Na hun aankomst ging Jozef naar de farao. ‘Mijn vader en mijn broers zijn aangekomen vanuit Kanaän,’ rapporteerde hij, ‘met hun schapen, runderen en andere bezittingen. Zij willen zich graag in het land Gosen vestigen.’ 2 Hij had vijf broers meegenomen en stelde hen aan de farao voor. 3 Die vroeg: ‘Wat is uw beroep?’ Zij antwoordden: ‘Wij zijn schaapherders, net als onze voorouders. 4 Wij zijn gekomen om ons hier in Egypte te vestigen, want in Kanaän is geen voedsel voor onze kudden. De hongersnood is daar erg zwaar. Wij willen u graag toestemming vragen om ons in het land Gosen te mogen vestigen.’ 5 De farao zei tegen Jozef: ‘Kies maar een plaats waar ze zich kunnen vestigen. 6 Geef hun het beste land van Egypte. Het land Gosen lijkt mij wel geschikt. En als er geschikte mensen bij zijn, mag u die wel als opzichters over mijn schaapskudden aanstellen.’
7 Toen bracht Jozef zijn vader Jakob bij de farao. En Jakob zegende de farao. 8 ‘Hoe oud bent u?’ vroeg de farao. 9 Jakob antwoordde: ‘Ik heb honderddertig lange, harde jaren geleefd en ben nog lang niet zo oud als sommigen van mijn voorouders zijn geworden.’ 10 Voor hij vertrok, zegende Jakob de farao nog een keer.
11 Zo wees Jozef het beste stuk land van Egypte—het land Rameses—toe aan zijn vader en zijn broers, precies zoals de farao het had geboden. 12 Jozef voorzag hen bovendien van voedsel, genoeg voor iedereen.
13 De hongersnood werd steeds erger en Egypte en Kanaän hadden er veel van te lijden. 14 Jozef verzamelde al het geld in Egypte en Kanaän in ruil voor graan en bracht al dat geld onder in de kluizen van de farao. 15 Toen de mensen geen geld meer hadden, kwamen zij naar Jozef toe en smeekten om voedsel. ‘Al ons geld is op,’ zeiden zij, ‘maar wij moeten toch eten, waarom zouden wij sterven?’ 16 ‘Goed,’ zei Jozef, ‘u kunt mij betalen met het vee dat u bezit. Vee in ruil voor graan.’ 17 Zo brachten de mensen hun vee naar Jozef in ruil voor voedsel. Al spoedig bezat de farao alle paarden, schapen, runderen en ezels die in Egypte te vinden waren. 18 Een jaar later kwamen de mensen weer terug en zeiden: ‘Ons geld is op en al het vee is nu van u. Wij hebben alleen onze lichamen en ons land nog. 19 Waarom zouden wij sterven? Koop ons en ons land en wij zullen de lijfeigenen van de farao zijn. Wij zullen onszelf ruilen voor voedsel, dan blijven wij in leven en komt het land niet braak te liggen.’ 20 Zo kocht Jozef al het land in Egypte voor de farao, alle Egyptenaren verkochten hem hun grond vanwege de zware hongersnood. Al het land werd zo het eigendom van de farao. 21 Op die manier werden de Egyptenaren lijfeigenen van de farao. 22 Het enige land dat hij niet kocht, was dat van de priesters. Zij kregen voedsel toegewezen door de farao en hoefden het niet te kopen.
23 Toen zei Jozef tegen de mensen: ‘Ik heb u en uw land voor de farao gekocht. Hier is graan. Ga terug naar uw land en zaai het in. 24 En wanneer u de oogst binnenhaalt, is éénvijfde deel ervan voor de farao. Viervijfde deel kunt u houden als zaaisel voor het volgende jaar en als voedsel voor uw gezinnen.’ 25 ‘U hebt onze levens gered,’ vonden de mensen. ‘Wij zullen de farao graag dienen als lijfeigenen.’ 26 Jozef maakte een wet voor het land Egypte—en die wet is nog steeds van kracht—dat twintig procent van alle oogsten door de farao werd opgeëist als een belasting. De enige uitzondering daarop vormde het land dat eigendom was van de tempels.
27 Zo woonde Israël in het land Gosen en raakte daar ingeburgerd. De familie was vruchtbaar en groeide snel. 28 Jakob leefde nog zeventien jaar na zijn aankomst in Egypte. Hij was 147 jaar oud toen hij stierf. 29 Toen hij zijn dood voelde naderen, riep hij Jozef bij zich en zei: ‘Zweer mij plechtig dat je mijn laatste wil zult eerbiedigen en uitvoeren. Begraaf mij niet in Egypte. 30 Wanneer ik gestorven ben, moet je mij uit Egypte wegbrengen en naast mijn voorouders begraven.’ Jozef beloofde het zijn vader. 31 ‘Zweer dat je dat zult doen,’ drong Jakob aan. En Jozef deed dat. Daarna boog Israël zich dankbaar neer aan het hoofdeinde van zijn bed.
Genesis 47
King James Version
47 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
4 They said morever unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all 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 corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15 And when money failed 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 the 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 horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
19 Wherefore shall 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, that the land be not desolate.
20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.
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 in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part 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 grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.
27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
30 But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
31 And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.
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