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 [a]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 [b]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 [c]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 [d]removed the people unto the cities, [e]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, [f]except the land of the Priests only, which was not Pharaoh’s.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 47:13 Hebrew, brought to an extremity, or at their wit’s end.
  2. Genesis 47:14 Wherein he both declareth his fidelity toward the King, and his mind free from covetousness.
  3. Genesis 47:19 For except the ground be tilled and sown, it perisheth, and is as it were dead.
  4. Genesis 47:21 By this changing they signified that they had nothing of their own, but received all of the king’s liberality.
  5. Genesis 47:21 Hebrew, end of the border.
  6. 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.

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