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Genesis 47
Expanded Bible

Jacob Settles in Goshen

47 Joseph went in and spoke to ·the king [L Pharaoh] and said, “My father and my brothers have arrived from Canaan with their flocks and herds and everything they own. They are now in the land of Goshen [45:10].” 2 Joseph ·chose [took] five of his brothers to ·introduce [present] to ·the king [L Pharaoh].

3 ·The king [L Pharaoh] said to his brothers, “What work do you do?”

And they said to him, “We, your servants, are shepherds, just as our ·ancestors [fathers] were.” 4 They said to ·the king [L Pharaoh], “We have come to ·live [sojourn; reside as aliens] in this land, because there is no ·grass in the land of Canaan for our animals to eat [L pasturage for the flocks of your servants], and the ·hunger [famine] is ·terrible [severe; heavy] there. So please allow ·us [L your servants] to live in the land of Goshen.”

5 Then ·the king [L Pharaoh] said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and ·you may choose any place in Egypt for them to live [L the land of Egypt is before you]. 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 [L livestock].”

7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and ·introduced him to the king [L he stood before Pharaoh], and Jacob blessed ·the king [L Pharaoh].

8 Then ·the king [L Pharaoh] said to Jacob, “How ·old are you [L many of the days are the years of your life]?”

9 Jacob said to him, “My life has been spent ·wandering from place to place [sojourning; residing as an alien]. It has been short and filled with trouble—only one hundred thirty years. My ·ancestors [fathers] ·lived [L wandered; sojourned; lived as an alien] much longer than I.” 10 Then Jacob blessed ·the king [L Pharaoh] and ·left [L went out from before the Pharaoh].

11 Joseph obeyed the king and ·gave his father and brothers [L settled his father and brothers and gave them a possession in] the best land in Egypt, near the city of Rameses [C a city built later during the time of Moses in the Nile Delta region; Ex. 1:11]. 12 And Joseph gave his father, his brothers, and ·everyone who lived with them [L all his father’s household] the food ·they needed [L according to their little ones/dependents].

Joseph Buys Land for the King

13 The ·hunger became worse [L famine was severe/intense/heavy], and since there was no food anywhere in the land, Egypt and Canaan ·became very poor [L wilted; languished]. 14 Joseph ·collected [gathered] all the ·money [silver] that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan. People paid for the grain they were buying, and Joseph brought that ·money [silver] to ·the king’s [L Pharaoh’s] palace. 15 After some time, when the people in Egypt and Canaan had no ·money [silver] left, ·they [L all Egypt] went to Joseph and said, “Please give us food. Our money is gone, ·and if we don’t eat, we will [L why should we…?] die here in front of you.”

16 Joseph answered, “Since you have no ·money [silver], give me your ·farm animals [livestock], and I will give you food in return [L for your livestock].” 17 So people brought their ·farm animals [livestock] to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. And he ·kept them alive by trading [supplied them with] food for their ·farm animals [livestock] that year.

18 ·The next year [L When that year ended] the people came to Joseph [L in the second year] and said, “·You know [L We cannot hide from my master/lord that] we have no money left, and all our ·animals [L herds of cattle] belong to you. ·We have [L Before our master/lord there is] nothing left except our bodies and our land. 19 ·Surely both we and our land will [L Why should we and our land…?] die here in front of you. Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we will be ·slaves [servants] to ·the king [L Pharaoh], together with our land. Give us seed to plant so that we will live and not die, and the land will not become ·a desert [desolate].”

20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for ·the king [L Pharaoh; C Joseph’s plan led to the tremendous power of the Pharaoh in Egypt and the world]. Every Egyptian sold Joseph his field, because the ·hunger [famine] was very ·great [strong; intense]. So the land ·became the king’s [belonged to the Pharaoh], 21 and Joseph made the people ·slaves[a] 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 [L Pharaoh] ·paid them [gave them an allowance] 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 [L Pharaoh], so I will give you seed and you can plant ·your fields [L the land]. 24 At harvest time you must give one-fifth to ·the king [L Pharaoh]. You may keep four-fifths for yourselves to use as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your families, and your ·children [little ones].”

25 The people said, “You have ·saved our lives [allowed us to live]. If ·you like [L we have found favor in the eyes of my master/lord], we will become slaves of ·the king [L Pharaoh].”

26 So Joseph made a law in Egypt, which continues today: One-fifth of everything from the land belongs to ·the king [L Pharaoh]. The only land ·the king [L Pharaoh] did not get was the priests’ land.

“Don’t Bury Me in Egypt”

27 The Israelites continued to live in the land of Goshen [45:10] in Egypt. There they got possessions and ·had many children [L were fruitful] and ·grew in number [greatly multiplied; 1:22].

28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, so he lived to be one hundred forty-seven years old. 29 When Israel [C another name for Jacob; 32:28] knew he soon would die, he called his son Joseph to him and said to him, “If ·you love me [L I have found grace in your eyes], put your hand under my ·leg [L thigh; C a euphemism for male genitalia; this was a commitment to keep a promise]. ·Promise me [L Deal with me according to loyalty and faithfulness that] you will not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I ·die [L lie with my fathers/ancestors], carry me out of Egypt, and bury me ·where my ancestors are buried [L in their burial place].”

Joseph answered, “I will do as you say.”

31 Then Jacob said, “·Promise [Swear to] me.” And ·Joseph promised [he swore to] him that he would do this [50:7–14]. Then Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his ·walking stick [staff; or bed].[b]

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 47:21 slaves Some Greek copies read “slaves.” The Hebrew text reads “move to cities.”
  2. Genesis 47:31 walking stick Some Greek copies read “walking stick.” The Hebrew text reads “bed.”
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Genesis 47
New International Version

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(A) and are now in Goshen.”(B) 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them(C) before Pharaoh.

3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”(D)

“Your servants(E) are shepherds,(F)” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,(G) because the famine is severe in Canaan(H) and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.(I) So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”(J)

5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle(K) your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.(L) Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability,(M) put them in charge of my own livestock.(N)”

7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him(O) before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[a] Pharaoh,(P) 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.(Q) My years have been few and difficult,(R) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.(S)” 10 Then Jacob blessed[b] Pharaoh(T) 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,(U) the district of Rameses,(V) 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.(W)

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.(X) 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,(Y) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.(Z) 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,(AA) all Egypt came to Joseph(AB) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?(AC) Our money is all gone.”

16 “Then bring your livestock,(AD)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.(AE)” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,(AF) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.(AG) 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(AH) and our livestock belongs to you,(AI) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes(AJ)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,(AK) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.(AL) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,(AM) 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(AN) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[c](AO) from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests,(AP) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment(AQ) 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(AR) for you so you can plant the ground.(AS) 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth(AT) 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;(AU) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”(AV)

26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth(AW) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.(AX)

27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.(AY) They acquired property there(AZ) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.(BA)

28 Jacob lived in Egypt(BB) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.(BC) 29 When the time drew near for Israel(BD) to die,(BE) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(BF) put your hand under my thigh(BG) and promise that you will show me kindness(BH) and faithfulness.(BI) Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers,(BJ) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”(BK)

“I will do as you say,” he said.

31 “Swear to me,”(BL) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,(BM) and Israel(BN) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[d](BO)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 47:7 Or greeted
  2. Genesis 47:10 Or said farewell to
  3. Genesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities
  4. Genesis 47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed
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