Genesis 47

1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are come out of the land of Chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of Gessen.

Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, "My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come from the land of Canaan. And look, they are in the land of Goshen."

2 Five men also the last of his brethren, he presented before the king:

And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh.

3 And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: We thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.

Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers."

4 We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be in the land of Gessen.

And they said to Pharaoh, "We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen."

5 The king therefore said to Joseph: Thy father and thy brethren are come to thee.

Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, "Your father and your brothers have come to you,

6 The land of Egypt is before thee: make them dwell in the best place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle.

and the land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock."

7 After this Joseph brought in his father to the king, and presented him before him: and he blessed him.

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

8 And being asked by him: How many are the days of the years of thy life?

And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the days of the years of your life?"

9 He answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few, and evil, and they are not come up to the days of the pilgrimage of my fathers.

So Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my sojourning are one hundred thirty years. Few and difficult have been the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning."

10 And blessing the king, he went out.

Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from Pharaoh's presence.

11 But Joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Ramesses, as Pharao had commanded.

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

12 And he nourished them, and all his father’s house, allowing food to every one.

And Joseph provided food for his father, his brothers, and all of his father's household, according to the number of their dependents.

13 For in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land: more especially of Egypt and Chanaan.

Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan grew weak because of the famine.

14 Out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which they bought, and brought it into the king’s treasure.

Joseph gathered up all of the money to be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain they were purchasing. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's treasury.

15 And when the buyers wanted money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: Give us bread: why should we die in thy presence, having now no money.

And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us food, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is gone."

16 And he answered them: Bring me your cattle, and for them I will give you food, if you have no money.

Then Joseph said, "Give me your livestock and I will give you food for your livestock, if your silver is gone."

17 And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses and he maintained them that year for the exchange of their cattle.

So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle, and for the donkeys. And he fed them with food in exchange for all their livestock for that year.

18 And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our bodies and our lands.

When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that all our silver is spent and that the herds of livestock belong to my lord. There is nothing left, as my lord can see, except our bodies and our lands.

19 Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thine, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king’s servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.

Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land won't become desolate."

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. And he brought it into Pharao’s hands:

So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field, since the famine was severe on them. So the land became Pharaoh's.

21 And all its people from one end of the borders of Egypt, even to the other end thereof,

And as for the people, he subjugated them as slaves from one end of the border of Egypt to the other end of it.

22 Except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the public stores, and therefore they were not forced to sell their possessions.

Only he did not buy the land of the priests, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived off their allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore they did not have to sell their land.

23 Then Joseph said to the people: Behold as you see, both you and your lands belong to Pharao: take seed and sow the fields,

Then Joseph said to the people, "Look, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you so you can plant the seed in the land.

24 That you may have corn. The fifth part you shall give to the king: the other four you shall have for seed, and for food for your families and children.

And it will come to pass at the harvests that you must give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours for seed for the field, and for your food, and for those of your households, and as food for your little ones."

25 And they answered: Our life is in thy hand: only let my lord look favourably upon us, and we will gladly serve the king.

Then they said, "You have saved our lives. Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's slaves."

26 From that time unto this day, in the whole land of Egypt, the fifth part is paid to the king, and it is become as a law, except the land of the priests, which was free from this covenant.

So Joseph made it a statute still in effect for the land of Egypt, that a fifth must go to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's.

27 So Israel dwelt in Egypt, that is, in the land of Gessen, and possessed it: and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly.

So Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they acquired property in it and were fertile and became numerous.

28 And he lived in it seventeen years: and all the days of his life came to a hundred and forty-seven years.

And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.

29 And when he saw that the day of his death drew nigh, he called his son Joseph, and said to him: If I have found favour in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh; and thou shalt shew me this kindness and truth, not to bury me in Egypt:

And the time approached for Israel to die, so he summoned his son Joseph and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt,

30 But I will sleep with my fathers, and thou shalt take me away out of this land, and bury me in the burying place of my ancestors. And Joseph answered him: I will do what thou hast commanded.

but when I lie down with my fathers you must carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do what you have asked."

31 And he said: Swear then to me. And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the bed’s head.

Then he said, "Take an oath to me," and he took an oath to him. Then Israel bowed over the top of his staff.