Genesis 47
The Voice
47 So Joseph went to Pharaoh.
Joseph (to Pharaoh): My father and brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan with their flocks and herds and the rest of their belongings. They are now waiting in the land of Goshen.
2 Now Joseph had chosen five of his brothers and brought them along to present to Pharaoh.
Pharaoh (to Joseph’s brothers): 3 What is your occupation?
Joseph’s Brothers: Your servants are shepherds. We tend sheep and goats as our ancestors did before us.
4 We’ve come to reside in this land as foreigners for a time because there is no place in the land of Canaan for us to pasture our flocks on account of the severity of the famine. Now please, allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen until this famine is over.
Pharaoh (to Joseph): 5 Your father and brothers have come to you for help. 6 You have the entire land of Egypt at your disposal. Settle your family in the best areas of the land. Let them live in Goshen, and if you know of any who are particularly good at what they do, then put them in charge of my livestock.
7 Then Joseph brought his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh, and Jacob gave Pharaoh a blessing.
Jacob blesses Pharaoh. As we have seen, words spoken as a blessing have great meaning at this time. It may be no more than a greeting spoken, such as “shalom,” which means “peace.” However the story of Genesis prompts us to consider another possibility. In God’s plan to redeem and reclaim His creation, He chooses Abraham and his descendants to be a blessing to all the families on earth. Jacob, Abraham’s grandson and God’s covenant partner, speaks a blessing over Pharaoh that creates a new reality for Egypt and its king. Little does Pharaoh know that this humble nomadic family in need of his help will one day change the course of history.
Pharaoh (to Jacob): 8 How old are you now?
Jacob: 9 I have journeyed through life for 130 years. My life has been short and hard. But they don’t compare with the many years my ancestors traveled this earth.
10 Jacob gave Pharaoh a blessing for a second time and left his presence. 11 So Joseph settled his father and brothers on some of the best land in Egypt—granting them property of their own in a region known as Rameses, as Pharaoh had instructed. 12 And Joseph also provided them with food, according to the number of all of their dependents.
13 As time went on, the famine became more severe, and food became scarce in the lands of Egypt and Canaan. The people were starving. 14 Everyone from the lands of Egypt and Canaan spent all the money they had to buy grain. Joseph collected all the money and stored it in Pharaoh’s palace. 15 But when the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, the Egyptians came to Joseph to plead with him.
Egyptians: Please, give us food! Why should we all die here in front of you? Our money is gone.
Joseph: 16 You can pay with livestock then. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.
17 So the people brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for horses, flocks, herds, and donkeys. That year, he supplied them with food in exchange for livestock. 18 But when that year was over, they came to him the next year.
Egyptians: My lord, we cannot hide the fact that our money is all spent, and now the herds of livestock all belong to you. We have nothing left to exchange for food except our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we and our land perish now right before your eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. We will become slaves to Pharaoh. We will work the land for him. Just please give us seed, so that we can live and avoid dying of hunger and so that the land doesn’t become wild and deserted.
20 So Joseph agreed. He bought up all of the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians sold their fields because the famine was too severe for them to get by on their own, and so all of the land became the property of Pharaoh. 21 As for the people, he made slaves of them, from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 But he did not purchase the land belonging to the priests because they received an allowance from Pharaoh and were able to live off of it. So they didn’t have to sell their land.
Joseph (to the people): 23 See I have done what you asked. I have bought you and your lands for Pharaoh. Now here is the seed you need to sow the land. 24 When the harvest arrives, you will be required to give one-fifth of what you produce to Pharaoh; and four-fifths will be your own to plant the fields and feed your families, households, and children.
Egyptians: 25 You have saved our lives. If it pleases my lord, we are honored to serve as slaves to Pharaoh under these terms.
26 So Joseph made a law regarding the land of Egypt—which stands to this day—declaring Pharaoh is due one-fifth of all the land produces. Only the land of the priests remained personal property.
27 So this was how Israel and his descendants came to live in the land of Egypt, in the region known as Goshen. They acquired property in the area, had children, and their number increased rapidly. 28 Jacob lived another 17 years in the land of Egypt; he lived to be 147. 29 And when Israel was close to death, he called his son Joseph to his side.
Jacob (to Joseph): If I have found favor with you, I need a favor from you. Put your hand here under my thigh. Swear to deal kindly and faithfully with me by honoring my dying wish: please do not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I die let me lie with my ancestors. Take my body away from Egypt, and bury me where they are buried.
Joseph: I will do as you ask, Father.
Jacob: 31 Swear to me.
And Joseph took the oath. Then, Israel bowed down at the head of his bed.
Genesis 47
1599 Geneva Bible
47 7 Jacob cometh before Pharaoh, and telleth him his age. 11 The land of Goshen is given him. 22 The idolatrous priests have living of the King. 28 Jacob’s age when he dieth.
1 Then came Joseph and told Pharaoh, and said, My father, and my brethren, and their sheep, and their cattle, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan, and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
2 And Joseph took part of his brethren, even [a]five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
3 When Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your trade? And they answered Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.
4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come: for thy servants have no pasture for their sheep, so sore is the famine in the land of Canaan, Now therefore, we pray thee: let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
5 Then spake Pharaoh to Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee.
6 The [b]land of Egypt is before thee: in the best place of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell: let them dwell in the land of Goshen: and if thou knowest that there be men of activity among them, make them rulers over my cattle.
7 Joseph also brought Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob [c]saluted Pharaoh.
8 Then Pharaoh said unto Jacob, [d]How old art thou?
9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The whole time of my (A)pilgrimage is an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of my life been, and I have not attained unto the years of the life of my fathers, in the days of their pilgrimages.
10 And Jacob [e]took leave of Pharaoh, and departed from the presence of Pharaoh.
11 ¶ And Joseph placed his father, and his brethren, and gave them possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, even in the land of [f]Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12 ¶ And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household with bread [g]even to the young children.
13 ¶ Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was exceeding sore: so that the land of Egypt, and the land of Canaan were [h]famished by reason of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered all the money, that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought, and [i]Joseph laid up the money in Pharaoh’s house.
15 So when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, then all the Egyptians came unto Joseph and said, Give us bread: for why should we die before thee? for our money is spent.
16 Then said Joseph, Bring your cattle, and I will give you for your cattle, if your money be spent.
17 So they brought their cattle unto Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread for the horses, and for the flocks of sheep, and for the herds of cattle, and for the asses: so he fed them with bread for all their cattle that year.
18 But when the year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide from my lord, that since our money is spent, and my lord hath the herds of the cattle, there is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies and our ground.
19 Why shall we perish in thy sight, both we and our [j]land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bound to Pharaoh: therefore give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land go not to waste.
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh: for the Egyptians sold every man his ground, because the famine was sore upon them: so the land became Pharaoh’s.
21 And he [k]removed the people unto the cities, [l]from one side of Egypt even to the other.
22 Only the land of the Priests bought he not: for the Priests had an ordinary of Pharaoh, and they did eat their ordinary, which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their ground.
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: sow therefore the ground.
24 And of the increase ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be yours for seed of the field, and for your meat, and for them of your households, and for your children to eat.
25 Then they answered, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
26 Then Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, [m]except the land of the Priests only, which was not Pharaoh’s.
27 ¶ And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen: and they had their possessions therein, and grew and multiplied exceedingly.
28 Moreover, Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
29 Now when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If I have now found grace in thy sight, (B)put thine hand now under my thigh, and deal mercifully and truly with me: bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.
30 But when I shall [n]sleep with my fathers, thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burial. And he answered, I will do as thou hast said.
31 Then he said, swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel [o]worshipped towards the bed’s head.
Footnotes
- Genesis 47:2 That the king might be assured they were come, and see what manner of people they were.
- Genesis 47:6 Joseph’s great modesty appeareth in that he would enterprise nothing without the king’s commandment.
- Genesis 47:7 Hebrew, blessed.
- Genesis 47:8 Hebrew, how many days are the years of thy life?
- Genesis 47:10 Hebrew, blessed.
- Genesis 47:11 Which was a city in the country of Goshen, Exod. 1:11.
- Genesis 47:12 Some read, that he fed them as little babes, because they could not provide for themselves against that famine.
- Genesis 47:13 Hebrew, brought to an extremity, or at their wit’s end.
- Genesis 47:14 Wherein he both declareth his fidelity toward the King, and his mind free from covetousness.
- Genesis 47:19 For except the ground be tilled and sown, it perisheth, and is as it were dead.
- Genesis 47:21 By this changing they signified that they had nothing of their own, but received all of the king’s liberality.
- Genesis 47:21 Hebrew, end of the border.
- Genesis 47:26 Pharaoh in providing for Idolatrous priests, shall be a condemnation to all them which neglect the true ministers of God’s word.
- Genesis 47:30 Hereby he protested that he died in the faith of his fathers, teaching his children to hope for the promised land.
- Genesis 47:31 He rejoiced that Joseph had promised him, and setting himself up upon his pillow, praised God. Read 1 Chron. 29:10.
Genesis 47
New King James Version
Joseph Is Governor of Egypt
47 Then Joseph (A)went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in (B)the land of Goshen.” 2 And he took five men from among his brothers and (C)presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, (D)“What is your occupation?”
And they said to Pharaoh, (E)“Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.” 4 And they said to Pharaoh, (F)“We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, (G)for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants (H)dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 (I)The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell (J)in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”
7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob (K)blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, (L)“The days of the years of my [a]pilgrimage are (M)one hundred and thirty years; (N)few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and (O)they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” 10 So Jacob (P)blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11 And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of (Q)Rameses, (R)as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 Then Joseph provided (S)his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.
Joseph Deals with the Famine
13 Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, (T)so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 (U)And Joseph gathered up 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 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for (V)why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.”
16 Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he [b]fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.
18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may (W)live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.”
20 Then Joseph (X)bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 And as for the people, he [c]moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. 22 (Y)Only the land of the (Z)priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”
25 So they said, “You have saved (AA)our lives; let us find favor 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 to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, (AB)except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.
Joseph’s Vow to Jacob
27 So Israel (AC)dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and (AD)grew and multiplied exceedingly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years. 29 When the time (AE)drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, please (AF)put your hand under my thigh, and (AG)deal kindly and truly with me. (AH)Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but (AI)let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and (AJ)bury me in their burial place.”
And he said, “I will do as you have said.”
31 Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. So (AK)Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.
Footnotes
- Genesis 47:9 Lit. sojourning
- Genesis 47:17 supplied
- Genesis 47:21 So with MT, Tg.; Sam., LXX, Vg. made the people virtual slaves
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
