Genesis 47

1 So then Joseph went in, and told Pharaoh, and said—My father and my brethren, and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, are come in from the land of Canaan, —and, here they are, in the land of Goshen.

So Joseph went and told Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.”

2 Moreover out of the whole number of his brethren, he took with him five men, —and set them before Pharaoh.

And he chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

3 And Pharaoh said unto the brethren of Joseph—What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh—Feeders of flocks, are thy servants, both we and our fathers.

“What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers. “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.”

4 And they said unto Pharaoh—To sojourn in the land, are we come in, for there is no pasture for the flocks which pertain to thy servants, for, severe, is the famine in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, let thy servants dwell we pray thee in the land of Goshen.

Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.”

5 Then spake Pharaoh unto Joseph saying, —Thy father and thy brethren, are come in unto thee.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you,

6 The land of Egypt, is, before thee, in the best of the land, cause thou thy father and thy brethren to dwell, —let them dwell in the land of Goshen, And if thou knowest that there are among them men of ability, then shalt thou set them as chieftains of cattle over mine.

the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

7 So Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and caused him to stand before Pharaoh, —and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob: About how many, have been the days of the years of thy life?

“How many years have you lived?” Pharaoh asked.

9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my sojournings, have been a hundred and thirty years, —Few and evil, have been the days of the years of my life, neither have they attained unto the days of the years of the lives of my fathers, in the days of their sojournings.

“My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”

10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, —and came forth from the presence of Pharaoh.

Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from his presence.

11 So then Joseph fixed the dwelling of 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.

So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

12 And Joseph nourished his father and his brethren, and all his father’s house, —with bread, according to the need of their little ones.

Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for their families.

13 But, bread, was there none in all the land, —for the famine was, very severe, —so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine,

There was no food, however, in all that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine.

14 So Joseph gathered up all the silver that was found in the land of Egypt. and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which, they, were buying, —and Joseph brought the silver into the house of Pharaoh.

Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying, and he brought it into Pharaoh’s palace.

15 And the silver was spent out of the land of Egypt and out of the land of Canaan, so all the Egyptians came in unto Joseph, saying—Do give us bread, for why should we die before thee, although, silver, hath failed?

When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”

16 Then said Joseph: Give your cattle, and I will give you for your cattle, —if silver hath failed.

“Then bring me your livestock,” said Joseph. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock.”

17 So they brought in their cattle unto Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses and for the cattle of the flock and for the cattle of the herd, and for the asses, —and he provided them with bread for all their cattle, throughout that year.

So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. Throughout that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.

18 When that year was ended, then came they unto him in the second year and said to him—We will not hide from my lord, how that the silver and the herds of beasts for my lord are come to an end, —there is nothing left before my lord, save only our bodies and our ground:

When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.

19 Wherefore should we die before thine eyes both we, and our ground? Buy thou us and our ground, for bread, —and we and our ground will become servants to Pharaoh, and give seed, that we may live, and not die, and the ground, not lie waste.

Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”

20 So Joseph bought all the ground of the Egyptians for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine had laid fast hold upon them, —so the land became Pharaoh’s.

So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s,

21 And as for the people, he brought them into bondage as servants, —from one end of the boundary of Egypt unto the other end thereof.

and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other.

22 Only, the ground of the priests, bought he not, —for the priests had a statutory-portion, from Pharaoh and they had been eating their statutory-portion, which Pharaoh had given them, for which cause, they had not sold their ground.

However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land.

23 And Joseph said unto the people, Lo! I have bought you this day, and your ground for Pharaoh, —see, here is seed for you, so shall ye sow the ground;

Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land.

24 and it shall come to pass that, of the yield, ye shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, —but the four parts, shall be your own—for seed for the field, and for your food and for them who are in your households and for food for your little ones.

At harvest time, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and food for yourselves and your households and children.”

25 And they said—Thou hast saved our lives! let us find favour in the eyes of my lord, so will we become Pharaoh’s servants.

“You have saved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor in our lord’s eyes, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”

26 And Joseph appointed it for a statute—until this day, regarding the ground of Egypt, that Pharaoh, should take a fifth, —only, the ground of the priests, was, theirs alone, it had not become Pharaoh’s.

So Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.

27 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen, —and gained possessions therein, and became fruitful and multiplied exceedingly.

Now the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and became fruitful and increased greatly in number.

28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, —so it came to pass that the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years.

And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the length of his life was 147 years.

29 And the days of Israel drew near that he must die, so he called for his son for Joseph and said to him—If, I pray thee I have found favour in thine eyes, place, I pray thee thy hand under my thigh, —so shalt thou deal with me in lovingkindness and faithfulness—Do not I pray thee, bury me in Egypt.

When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt,

30 When I shall lie down with my fathers, then shalt thou carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said: I, will do according to thy word.

but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.” Joseph answered, “I will do as you have requested.”

31 Then he said: Come, swear to me! And he sware to him. Then did Israel bow himself down on the head of the couch.

“Swear to me,” Jacob said. So Joseph swore to him, and Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed.