Genesis 47
1 Ingressus ergo Ioseph nunciavit Pharaoni, dicens: Pater meus et fratres, oves eorum et armenta, et cuncta quae possident, venerunt de Terra Chanaan: et ecce consistunt in Terra Gessen.
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 Extremos quoque fratrum suorum quinque viros constituit coram rege:
And he chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.
3 quos ille interrogavit: Quid habetis operis? Responderunt: Pastores ovium sumus servi tui, et nos, et patres nostri.
“What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers. “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.”
4 Ad peregrinandum in terram tuam venimus: quoniam non est herba gregibus servorum tuorum, ingravescente fame in terra Chanaan: petimusque ut esse nos iubeas servos tuos in Terra Gessen.
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 Dixit itaque rex ad Ioseph: Pater tuus et fratres tui venerunt ad te.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you,
6 Terra Aegypti in conspectu tuo est: in optimo loco fac eos habitare, et trade eis Terram Gessen. Quod si nosti in eis esse viros industrios, constitue illos magistros pecorum meorum.
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 Post haec introduxit Ioseph patrem suum ad Regem, et statuit eum coram eo: qui benedicens illi,
Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 et interrogatus ab eo: Quot sunt dies annorum vitae tuae?
“How many years have you lived?” Pharaoh asked.
9 Respondit: Dies peregrinationis meae centum triginta annorum sunt, parvi et mali, et non pervenerunt usque ad dies patrum meorum quibus peregrinati sunt.
“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 Et benedicto rege, egressus est foras.
Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from his presence.
11 Ioseph vero patri et fratribus suis dedit possessionem in Aegypto in optimo terrae loco, Ramesses, ut praeceperat Pharao.
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 Et alebat eos, omnemque domum patris sui, praebens cibaria singulis.
Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for their families.
13 In toto enim orbe panis deerat, et oppresserat fames terram, maxime Aegypti et Chanaan.
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 E quibus omnem pecuniam congregavit pro venditione frumenti, et intulit eam in aerarium regis.
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 Cumque defecisset emptoribus pretium, venit cuncta Aegyptus ad Ioseph, dicens: Da nobis panes: quare morimur coram te, deficiente pecunia?
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 Quibus ille respondit: Adducite pecora vestra, et dabo vobis pro eis cibos, si pretium non habetis.
“Then bring me your livestock,” said Joseph. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock.”
17 Quae cum adduxissent, dedit eis alimenta pro equis, et ovibus, et bobus, et asinis: sustentavitque eos illo anno pro commutatione pecorum.
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 Venerunt quoque anno secundo, et dixerunt ei: Non celamus domino nostro quod deficiente pecunia, pecora simul defecerunt: nec clam te est, quod absque corporibus et terra nihil habeamus.
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 Cur ergo moriemur te vidente? et nos et terra nostra tui erimus: eme nos in servitutem regiam, et praebe semina, ne pereunte cultore redigatur terra in solitudinem.
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 Emit igitur Ioseph omnem Terram Aegypti, vendentibus singulis possessiones suas prae magnitudine famis. Subiecitque eam Pharaoni,
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 et cunctos populos eius a novissimis terminis Aegypti usque ad extremos fines eius,
and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other.
22 praeter terram sacerdotum, quae a rege tradita fuerat eis: quibus et statuta cibaria ex horreis publicis praebebantur, et idcirco non sunt compulsi vendere possessiones suas.
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 Dixit ergo Ioseph ad populos: En ut cernitis, et vos et terram vestram Pharao possidet: accipite semina, et serite agros,
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 ut fruges habere possitis. Quintam partem regi dabitis: quattuor reliquas permitto vobis in sementem, et in cibum familiis et liberis vestris.
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 Qui responderunt: Salus nostra in manu tua est: respiciat nos tantum dominus noster, et laeti serviemus regi.
“You have saved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor in our lord’s eyes, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
26 Ex eo tempore usque in praesentem diem in universa terra Aegypti regibus quinta pars solvitur, et factum est quasi in legem, absque terra sacerdotali, quae libera ab hac conditione fuit.
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 Habitavit ergo Israel in Aegypto, idest, in Terra Gessen, et possedit eam: auctusque est, et multiplicatus nimis.
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 Et vixit in ea decem et septem annis: factique sunt omnes dies vitae illius centum quadraginta septem annorum.
And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the length of his life was 147 years.
29 Cumque appropinquare cerneret diem mortis suae, vocavit filium suum Ioseph, et dixit ad eum: Si inveni gratiam in conspectu tuo, pone manum tuam sub femore meo: et facies mihi misericordiam et veritatem, ut non sepelias me in Aegypto:
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 sed dormiam cum patribus meis, et auferas me de terra hac, condasque in sepulchro maiorum meorum. Cui respondit Ioseph: Ego faciam quod iussisti.
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 Et ille: Iura ergo, inquit, mihi. Quo iurante, adoravit Israel Deum, conversus ad lectuli caput.
“Swear to me,” Jacob said. So Joseph swore to him, and Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed.
