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Genesis 46-50
Contemporary English Version
Genesis 46-50
Contemporary English Version
Jacob and His Family Go to Egypt
46 Jacob packed up everything he owned and left for Egypt. On the way he stopped near the town of Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God his father Isaac had worshiped. 2 That night, God spoke to him in a dream and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,” Jacob answered.
3 God said, “I am God, the same God your father worshiped. Don't be afraid to go to Egypt. I will give you so many descendants that one day they will become a nation. 4 I will go with you to Egypt, and later I will bring your descendants back here. Your son Joseph will be at your side when you die.”
5-7 (A) Jacob and his family set out from Beersheba and headed for Egypt. His sons put him in the wagon that the king[a] had sent for him, and they put their small children and their wives in the other wagons. Jacob's whole family went to Egypt, including his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters. They took along their animals and everything else they owned.
8-15 When Jacob went to Egypt, his children who were born in northern Syria[b] also went along with their families.
Jacob and his wife Leah had a total of 33 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but two of their grandchildren had died in Canaan.
Their oldest son Reuben took his sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
Their son Simeon took his sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite.
Their son Levi took his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Their son Judah took his sons Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. Judah's sons Er and Onan had died in Canaan. Judah's son Perez took his sons Hezron and Hamul.
Their son Issachar took his sons Tola, Puvah, Jashub,[c] and Shimron.
Their son Zebulun took his sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
Their daughter Dinah also went.
16-18 Jacob and Zilpah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Leah, had a total of 16 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Their son Gad took his sons Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
Their son Asher took his sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, who took his sons, Heber and Malchiel.
Serah, the daughter of Asher, also went.
19-22 (B) Jacob and Rachel had 14 children and grandchildren.
Their son Joseph was already in Egypt, where he had married Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of Heliopolis.[d] Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Jacob and Rachel's son Benjamin took his sons Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
23-25 Jacob and Bilhah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Rachel, had seven children and grandchildren.
Their son Dan took his son Hushim.
Their son Naphtali took his sons Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
26 Sixty-six members of Jacob's family went to Egypt with him, not counting his daughters-in-law. 27 (C) Jacob's two grandsons who were born there made it a total of 70 members of Jacob's family in Egypt.
28 Jacob had sent his son Judah ahead of him to ask Joseph to meet them in Goshen. 29 So Joseph got in his chariot and went to meet his father. When they met, Joseph hugged his father around the neck and cried for a long time. 30 Jacob said to Joseph, “Now that I have seen you and know you are still alive, I am ready to die.”
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to everyone who had come with them:
I must go and tell the king[e] that you have arrived from Canaan. 32 I will tell him that you are shepherds and that you have brought your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. 33 The king will call you in and ask what you do for a living. 34 When he does, be sure to say, “We are shepherds. Our families have always raised sheep.” If you tell him this, he will let you settle in the region of Goshen.
Joseph wanted them to say this to the king, because the Egyptians did not like to be around anyone who raised sheep.
47 1-2 Joseph took five of his brothers to the king and told him, “My father and my brothers have come from Canaan. They have brought their sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else they own to the region of Goshen.”
Then he introduced his brothers to the king, 3 who asked them, “What do you do for a living?”
“Sir, we are shepherds,” was their answer. “Our families have always raised sheep. 4 But in our country all the pastures are dried up, and our sheep have no grass to eat. So we, your servants, have come here. Please let us live in the region of Goshen.”
5 The king said to Joseph, “It's good that your father and brothers have arrived. 6 I will let them live anywhere they choose in the land of Egypt, but I suggest that they settle in Goshen, the best part of our land. I would also like for your finest shepherds to watch after my own sheep and goats.”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and introduced him to the king. Jacob gave the king his blessing, 8 and the king asked him, “How old are you?”
9 Jacob answered, “I have lived only 130 years, and I have had to move from place to place. My parents and my grandparents also had to move from place to place. But they lived much longer, and their life was not as hard as mine.” 10 Then Jacob gave the king his blessing once again and left. 11 Joseph obeyed the king's orders and gave his father and brothers some of the best land in Egypt near the city of Rameses. 12 Joseph also provided food for their families.
A Famine in Egypt
13 The famine was bad everywhere in Egypt and Canaan, and the people were suffering terribly. 14 So Joseph sold them the grain that had been stored up, and he put the money[f] in the king's treasury. 15 But when everyone had run out of money, the Egyptians came to Joseph and demanded, “Give us more grain! If you don't, we'll soon be dead, because our money's all gone.”
16 “If you don't have any money,” Joseph answered, “give me your animals, and I'll let you have some grain.” 17 From then on, they brought him their horses and donkeys and their sheep and goats in exchange for grain.
Within a year Joseph had collected every animal in Egypt. 18 Then the people came to him and said:
Sir, there's no way we can hide the truth from you. We are broke, and we don't have any more animals. We have nothing left except ourselves and our land. 19 Don't let us starve and our land be ruined. If you'll give us grain to eat and seed to plant, we'll sell ourselves and our land to the king.[g] We'll become his slaves.
20 The famine became so severe that Joseph finally bought every piece of land in Egypt for the king 21 and made everyone the king's slaves,[h] 22 except the priests. The king gave the priests a regular food allowance, so they did not have to sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “You and your land now belong to the king. I'm giving you seed to plant, 24 but one fifth of your crops must go to the king. You can keep the rest as seed or as food for your families.”
25 “Sir, you have saved our lives!” they answered. “We are glad to be slaves of the king.” 26 Then Joseph made a law that one fifth of the harvest would always belong to the king. Only the priests did not lose their land.
Jacob Becomes an Old Man
27 The people of Israel made their home in the land of Goshen, where they became prosperous and had large families. 28 Jacob himself lived there for 17 years, before dying at the age of 147. 29 (D) When Jacob knew he did not have long to live, he called in Joseph and said, “If you really love me, you must make a solemn promise not to bury me in Egypt. 30 Instead, bury me in the place where my ancestors are buried.”
“I will do what you have asked,” Joseph answered.
31 “Will you give me your word?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, I will,” Joseph promised. After this, Jacob bowed down and prayed at the head of his bed.
Jacob Blesses Joseph's Two Sons
48 Joseph was told that his father Jacob had become very sick. So Joseph went to see him and took along his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Joseph arrived, someone told Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” Jacob sat up in bed, but it took almost all his strength.
3 (E) Jacob told Joseph:
God All-Powerful appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, where he gave me his blessing 4 and promised, “I will give you a large family with many descendants that will grow into a nation. And I am giving you this land that will belong to you and your family forever.”
5 Then Jacob went on to say:
Joseph, your two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt, but I accept them as my own, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children you have later will be considered yours, but their inheritance will come from Ephraim and Manasseh. 7 (F) Unfortunately, your mother Rachel died in Canaan after we had left northern Syria[i] and before we reached Bethlehem.[j] And I had to bury her along the way.
8-10 Jacob was very old and almost blind. He did not recognize the two boys, and so he asked Joseph, “Who are these boys?”
Joseph answered, “They are my sons. God has given them to me here in Egypt.”
“Bring them to me,” Jacob said. “I want to give them my blessing.” Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged and kissed them.
11 Jacob turned to Joseph and told him, “For many years I thought you were dead and that I would never see you again. But now God has even let me live to see your children.” 12 Then Joseph made his sons move away from Jacob's knees,[k] and Joseph bowed down in front of him with his face to the ground.
13 After Joseph got up, he brought his two sons over to Jacob again. He led his younger son Ephraim to the left side of Jacob and his older son Manasseh to the right. 14 But before Jacob gave them his blessing, he crossed his arms, putting his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on the head of Manasseh. 15 Then he gave Joseph his blessing and said:
My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac worshiped the Lord God. He has been with me all my life, 16 and his angel has kept me safe. Now I pray that he will bless these boys and that my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac will live on because of them. I ask God to give them many children and many descendants as well.
17 Joseph did not like it when he saw his father place his right hand on the head of the younger son. So he tried to move his father's right hand from Ephraim's head and place it on Manasseh. 18 Joseph said, “Father, you have made a mistake. This is the older boy. Put your right hand on him.”
19 But his father said, “Son, I know what I am doing. It's true that Manasseh's family will someday become a great nation. But Ephraim will be even greater than Manasseh, because his descendants will become many great nations.”
20 (G) Jacob told him that in the future the people of Israel would ask God's blessings on one another by saying, “I pray for God to bless you as much as he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh.” Jacob put Ephraim's name first to show that he would be greater than Manasseh. 21 After that, Jacob said, “Joseph, you can see that I won't live much longer. But God will be with you and will lead you back to the land he promised our family long ago. 22 Meanwhile, I'm giving you the hillside[l] I captured from the Amorites.”
Jacob Blesses His Sons
49 Jacob called his sons together and said:
My sons, I am Jacob,
your father Israel.
2 Come, gather around,
as I tell your future.
3 Reuben, you are my oldest,
born at the peak of my powers;
you were an honored leader.
4 Uncontrollable as a flood,
you slept with my wife
and disgraced my bed.
And so you no longer deserve
the place of honor.
5 Simeon and Levi,
you are brothers,
each a gruesome sword.
6 I never want to take part
in your plans or deeds.
You slaughtered people
in your anger,
and you crippled cattle
for no reason.
7 Now I place a curse on you
because of
your fierce anger.
Your descendants
will be scattered
among the tribes of Israel.
8 Judah, you will be praised
by your brothers;
they will bow down to you,
as you defeat your enemies.
9 (H) My son, you are a lion
ready to eat your victim!
You are terribly fierce;
no one will bother you.
10 You will have power and rule
until nations obey you[m]
and come bringing gifts.
11 You will tie your donkey
to a choice grapevine
and wash your clothes
in wine from those grapes.
12 Your eyes are darker than wine,
your teeth whiter than milk.
13 Zebulun, you will settle
along the seashore
and provide safe harbors
as far north as Sidon.
14 Issachar, you are a strong donkey
resting in the meadows.[n]
15 You found them so pleasant
that you worked too hard
and became a slave.
16 Dan,[o] you are the tribe
that will bring justice
to Israel.
17 You are a snake that bites
the heel of a horse,
making its rider fall.
18 Our Lord, I am waiting
for you to save us.
19 Gad,[p] you will be attacked,
then attack your attackers.
20 Asher, you will eat food
fancy enough for a king.
21 Naphtali, you are a wild deer
with lovely fawns.[q]
22 Joseph, you are a fruitful vine
growing near a stream
and climbing a wall.[r]
23 Enemies attacked with arrows,
refusing to show mercy.
24 But you stood your ground,
swiftly shooting back
with the help of Jacob's God,
the All-Powerful One—
his name is the Shepherd,
Israel's mighty rock.[s]
25 Your help came from the God
your father worshiped,
from God All-Powerful.
God will bless you with rain
and streams from the earth;
he will bless you
with many descendants.
26 My son, the blessings I give
are better than the promise
of ancient mountains
or eternal hills.[t]
Joseph, I pray these blessings
will come to you,
because you are the leader
of your brothers.
27 Benjamin, you are a fierce wolf,
destroying your enemies
morning and evening.
28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is how Jacob gave each of them their proper blessings.
Jacob's Death
29-31 (I) Jacob told his sons:
Soon I will die, and I want you to bury me in Machpelah Cave. Abraham bought this cave as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, and it is near the town of Mamre in Canaan. Abraham and Sarah are buried there, and so are Isaac and Rebekah. I buried Leah there too. 32 Both the cave and the land that goes with it were bought from the Hittites.
33 (J) When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he lay down on his bed and died. 50 1 Joseph started crying, then leaned over to hug and kiss his father.
2 Joseph gave orders for Jacob's body to be embalmed, 3 and it took the usual 40 days.
The Egyptians mourned 70 days for Jacob. 4 When the time of mourning was over, Joseph said to the Egyptian leaders, “If you consider me your friend, please speak to the king[u] for me. 5 (K) Just before my father died, he made me promise to bury him in his burial cave in Canaan. If the king will give me permission to go, I will come back here.”
6 The king answered, “Go to Canaan and keep your promise to your father.”
7-9 When Joseph left Goshen with his brothers, his relatives, and his father's relatives to bury Jacob, many of the king's highest officials and even his military chariots and cavalry went along. The Israelites left behind only their children, their cattle, and their sheep and goats.
10 After crossing the Jordan River, Joseph stopped at Atad's threshing place, where they all mourned and wept seven days for Jacob. 11 The Canaanites saw this and said, “The Egyptians are in great sorrow.” Then they named the place “Egypt in Sorrow.”[v]
12 So Jacob's sons did just as their father had instructed. 13 (L) They took him to Mamre in Canaan and buried him in Machpelah Cave, the burial place Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite.
14 After the funeral, Joseph, his brothers, and everyone else returned to Egypt.
Joseph's Promise to His Brothers
15 After Jacob died, Joseph's brothers said to each other, “What if Joseph still hates us and wants to get even with us for all the cruel things we did to him?”
16 So they sent this message to Joseph:
Before our father died, 17 he told us, “You did some cruel and terrible things to Joseph, but you must ask him to forgive you.”
Now we ask you to please forgive the terrible things we did. After all, we serve the same God that your father worshiped.
When Joseph heard this, he started crying.
18 Right then, Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to the ground in front of him and said, “We are your slaves.”
19 But Joseph told them, “Don't be afraid! I have no right to change what God has decided. 20 You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing. 21 Don't be afraid! I will take care of you and your children.” After Joseph said this, his brothers felt much better.
Joseph's Death
22 Joseph lived in Egypt with his brothers until he died at the age of 110. 23 Joseph lived long enough to see Ephraim's children and grandchildren. He also lived to see the children of Manasseh's son Machir, and he welcomed them into his family. 24 Before Joseph died, he told his brothers, “I won't live much longer. But God will take care of you and lead you out of Egypt to the land he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 (M) Now promise me that you will take my body with you when God leads you to that land.”
26 So Joseph died in Egypt at the age of 110; his body was embalmed and put in a coffin.
Footnotes
- 46.5-7 the king: See the note at 12.15.
- 46.8-15 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.
- 46.8-15 Jashub: The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “Iob.”
- 46.19-22 Heliopolis: See the note at 41.45.
- 46.31 the king: See the note at 12.15.
- 47.14 money: See the note at 42.25.
- 47.19 the king: See the note at 12.15.
- 47.21 made … slaves: One ancient translation and the Samaritan Hebrew Text; the Standard Hebrew Text “made everyone move to the cities.”
- 48.7 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.
- 48.7 Bethlehem: The Hebrew text has “Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem.”
- 48.12 move … Jacob's knees: The two boys were placed either on or between Jacob's knees, as a sign that he had accepted them as his sons.
- 48.22 the hillside: Or “a larger share than your brothers, the land.”
- 49.10 until … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 49.14 resting … meadows: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 49.16 Dan: In Hebrew “Dan” means “justice” or “judgment.”
- 49.19 Gad: In Hebrew “Gad” sounds like “attack.”
- 49.21 with lovely fawns: Or “speaking lovely words.”
- 49.22 wall: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 49.24 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has “rock,” which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the Lord to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
- 49.26 eternal hills: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 50.4 the king: See the note at 12.15.
- 50.11 Egypt in Sorrow: Or “Abel-Mizraim.”
Genesis 46-50
New International Version
Genesis 46-50
New International Version
Jacob Goes to Egypt
46 So Israel(A) set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba,(B) he offered sacrifices(C) to the God of his father Isaac.(D)
2 And God spoke to Israel(E) in a vision at night(F) and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,”(G) he replied.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,”(H) he said. “Do not be afraid(I) to go down to Egypt,(J) for I will make you into a great nation(K) there.(L) 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.(M) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.(N)”
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba,(O) and Israel’s(P) sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts(Q) that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt,(R) taking with them their livestock and the possessions(S) they had acquired(T) in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt(U) his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.(V)
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel(W) (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:
Reuben the firstborn(X) of Jacob.
9 The sons of Reuben:(Y)
Hanok, Pallu,(Z) Hezron and Karmi.(AA)
10 The sons of Simeon:(AB)
Jemuel,(AC) Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar(AD) and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 The sons of Levi:(AE)
Gershon,(AF) Kohath(AG) and Merari.(AH)
12 The sons of Judah:(AI)
Er,(AJ) Onan,(AK) Shelah, Perez(AL) and Zerah(AM) (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).(AN)
The sons of Perez:(AO)
Hezron and Hamul.(AP)
13 The sons of Issachar:(AQ)
Tola, Puah,[a](AR) Jashub[b](AS) and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun:(AT)
Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[c](AU) besides his daughter Dinah.(AV) These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.
16 The sons of Gad:(AW)
Zephon,[d](AX) Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher:(AY)
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.
Their sister was Serah.
The sons of Beriah:
Heber and Malkiel.
18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah,(AZ) whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah(BA)—sixteen in all.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel:(BB)
Joseph and Benjamin.(BC) 20 In Egypt, Manasseh(BD) and Ephraim(BE) were born to Joseph(BF) by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.[e](BG)
21 The sons of Benjamin:(BH)
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.(BI)
22 These were the sons of Rachel(BJ) who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah,(BN) whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel(BO)—seven in all.
26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.(BP) 27 With the two sons[f] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt,(BQ) the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy[g] in all.(BR)
28 Now Jacob sent Judah(BS) ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen.(BT) When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot(BU) made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.(BV) As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[h] and wept(BW) for a long time.(BX)
30 Israel(BY) said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”(BZ)
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan,(CA) have come to me.(CB) 32 The men are shepherds;(CC) they tend livestock,(CD) and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’(CE) 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’(CF) 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants(CG) have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’(CH) Then you will be allowed to settle(CI) in the region of Goshen,(CJ) for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.(CK)”
47 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan(CL) and are now in Goshen.”(CM) 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them(CN) before Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”(CO)
“Your servants(CP) are shepherds,(CQ)” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,(CR) because the famine is severe in Canaan(CS) and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.(CT) So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”(CU)
5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle(CV) your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.(CW) Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability,(CX) put them in charge of my own livestock.(CY)”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him(CZ) before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[i] Pharaoh,(DA) 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.(DB) My years have been few and difficult,(DC) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.(DD)” 10 Then Jacob blessed[j] Pharaoh(DE) and went out from his presence.
11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land,(DF) the district of Rameses,(DG) as Pharaoh directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.(DH)
Joseph and the Famine
13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.(DI) 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,(DJ) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.(DK) 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,(DL) all Egypt came to Joseph(DM) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?(DN) Our money is all gone.”
16 “Then bring your livestock,(DO)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.(DP)” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,(DQ) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.(DR) And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone(DS) and our livestock belongs to you,(DT) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes(DU)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,(DV) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.(DW) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,(DX) and that the land may not become desolate.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe(DY) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[k](DZ) from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests,(EA) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment(EB) Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed(EC) for you so you can plant the ground.(ED) 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth(EE) of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”
25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord;(EF) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”(EG)
26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth(EH) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.(EI)
27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.(EJ) They acquired property there(EK) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.(EL)
28 Jacob lived in Egypt(EM) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.(EN) 29 When the time drew near for Israel(EO) to die,(EP) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(EQ) put your hand under my thigh(ER) and promise that you will show me kindness(ES) and faithfulness.(ET) Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers,(EU) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”(EV)
“I will do as you say,” he said.
31 “Swear to me,”(EW) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,(EX) and Israel(EY) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[l](EZ)
Manasseh and Ephraim
48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim(FA) along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel(FB) rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[m](FC) appeared to me at Luz(FD) in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me(FE) 4 and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers.(FF) I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land(FG) as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’(FH)
5 “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt(FI) before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,(FJ) just as Reuben(FK) and Simeon(FL) are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan,[n](FM) to my sorrow(FN) Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).(FO)
8 When Israel(FP) saw the sons of Joseph,(FQ) he asked, “Who are these?”
9 “They are the sons God has given me here,”(FR) Joseph said to his father.
Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless(FS) them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.(FT) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them(FU) and embraced them.(FV)
11 Israel(FW) said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,(FX) and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”(FY)
12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees(FZ) and bowed down with his face to the ground.(GA) 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand,(GB) and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel(GC) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,(GD) though he was the younger,(GE) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.(GF)
15 Then he blessed(GG) Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,(GH)
the God who has been my shepherd(GI)
all my life to this day,
16 the Angel(GJ) who has delivered me from all harm(GK)
—may he bless(GL) these boys.(GM)
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(GN)
and may they increase greatly
on the earth.”(GO)
17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand(GP) on Ephraim’s head(GQ) he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”(GR)
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.(GS) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,(GT) and his descendants will become a group of nations.(GU)” 20 He blessed(GV) them that day(GW) and said,
“In your[o] name will Israel(GX) pronounce this blessing:(GY)
‘May God make you like Ephraim(GZ) and Manasseh.(HA)’”
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you[p](HB) and take you[q] back to the land of your[r] fathers.(HC) 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[s](HD) than to your brothers,(HE) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword(HF) and my bow.”
Jacob Blesses His Sons(HG)
49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.(HH)
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,(HK)
my might, the first sign of my strength,(HL)
excelling in honor,(HM) excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters,(HN) you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.(HO)
5 “Simeon(HP) and Levi(HQ) are brothers—
their swords[t] are weapons of violence.(HR)
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,(HS)
for they have killed men in their anger(HT)
and hamstrung(HU) oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury,(HV) so cruel!(HW)
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.(HX)
8 “Judah,[u](HY) your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck(HZ) of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.(IA)
9 You are a lion’s(IB) cub,(IC) Judah;(ID)
you return from the prey,(IE) my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,(IF)
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[v]
until he to whom it belongs[w] shall come(IG)
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.(IH)
11 He will tether his donkey(II) to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;(IJ)
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.(IK)
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.[x](IL)
13 “Zebulun(IM) will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.(IN)
14 “Issachar(IO) is a rawboned[y] donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.[z](IP)
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,(IQ)
he will bend his shoulder to the burden(IR)
and submit to forced labor.(IS)
16 “Dan[aa](IT) will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.(IU)
17 Dan(IV) will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,(IW)
that bites the horse’s heels(IX)
so that its rider tumbles backward.
22 “Joseph(JH) is a fruitful vine,(JI)
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches(JJ) climb over a wall.[ad]
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;(JK)
they shot at him with hostility.(JL)
24 But his bow remained steady,(JM)
his strong arms(JN) stayed[ae] limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,(JO)
because of the Shepherd,(JP) the Rock of Israel,(JQ)
25 because of your father’s God,(JR) who helps(JS) you,
because of the Almighty,[af](JT) who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below,(JU)
blessings of the breast(JV) and womb.(JW)
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than[ag] the bounty of the age-old hills.(JX)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,(JY)
on the brow of the prince among[ah] his brothers.(JZ)
27 “Benjamin(KA) is a ravenous wolf;(KB)
in the morning he devours the prey,(KC)
in the evening he divides the plunder.”(KD)
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,(KE) and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing(KF) appropriate to him.
The Death of Jacob
29 Then he gave them these instructions:(KG) “I am about to be gathered to my people.(KH) Bury me with my fathers(KI) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,(KJ) 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah,(KK) near Mamre(KL) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field(KM) as a burial place(KN) from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There Abraham(KO) and his wife Sarah(KP) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah(KQ) were buried, and there I buried Leah.(KR) 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.[ai](KS)”
33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.(KT)
50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.(KU) 2 Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,(KV) 3 taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.(KW)
4 When the days of mourning(KX) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,(KY) “If I have found favor in your eyes,(KZ) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5 ‘My father made me swear an oath(LA) and said, “I am about to die;(LB) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself(LC) in the land of Canaan.”(LD) Now let me go up and bury my father;(LE) then I will return.’”
6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials(LF) accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court(LG) and all the dignitaries of Egypt— 8 besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household.(LH) Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.(LI) 9 Chariots(LJ) and horsemen[aj] also went up with him. It was a very large company.
10 When they reached the threshing floor(LK) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;(LL) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period(LM) of mourning(LN) for his father.(LO) 11 When the Canaanites(LP) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”(LQ) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.[ak]
12 So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:(LR) 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,(LS) near Mamre,(LT) which Abraham had bought along with the field(LU) as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.(LV) 14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.(LW)
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge(LX) against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”(LY) 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions(LZ) before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins(MA) and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’(MB) Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.(MC)” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.(MD)
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.(ME) “We are your slaves,”(MF) they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?(MG) 20 You intended to harm me,(MH) but God intended(MI) it for good(MJ) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.(MK) 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.(ML)” And he reassured them and spoke kindly(MM) to them.
The Death of Joseph
22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years(MN) 23 and saw the third generation(MO) of Ephraim’s(MP) children.(MQ) Also the children of Makir(MR) son of Manasseh(MS) were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.[al](MT)
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die.(MU) But God will surely come to your aid(MV) and take you up out of this land to the land(MW) he promised on oath to Abraham,(MX) Isaac(MY) and Jacob.”(MZ) 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath(NA) and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones(NB) up from this place.”(NC)
26 So Joseph died(ND) at the age of a hundred and ten.(NE) And after they embalmed him,(NF) he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes
- Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Puvah
- Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Num. 26:24 and 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Iob
- Genesis 46:15 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 46:16 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 26:15); Masoretic Text Ziphion
- Genesis 46:20 That is, Heliopolis
- Genesis 46:27 Hebrew; Septuagint the nine children
- Genesis 46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5 and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five
- Genesis 46:29 Hebrew around him
- Genesis 47:7 Or greeted
- Genesis 47:10 Or said farewell to
- Genesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities
- Genesis 47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed
- Genesis 48:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
- Genesis 48:7 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 48:20 The Hebrew is singular.
- Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
- Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
- Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
- Genesis 48:22 The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem.
- Genesis 49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
- Genesis 49:10 Or from his descendants
- Genesis 49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Genesis 49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk
- Genesis 49:14 Or strong
- Genesis 49:14 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
- Genesis 49:16 Dan here means he provides justice.
- Genesis 49:19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders.
- Genesis 49:21 Or free; / he utters beautiful words
- Genesis 49:22 Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill
- Genesis 49:24 Or archers will attack … will shoot … will remain … will stay
- Genesis 49:25 Hebrew Shaddai
- Genesis 49:26 Or of my progenitors, / as great as
- Genesis 49:26 Or of the one separated from
- Genesis 49:32 Or the descendants of Heth
- Genesis 50:9 Or charioteers
- Genesis 50:11 Abel Mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians.
- Genesis 50:23 That is, were counted as his
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