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.

And so Joseph entered and reported to Pharaoh, saying: “My father and brothers, their sheep and herds, and everything that they possess, have arrived from the land of Canaan. And behold, they stand together in the land of Goshen.”

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

Likewise, he stood in the sight of the king five men, the last of his brothers.

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.

And he questioned them, “What do you have for work?” They responded: “Your servants are pastors of sheep, 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.

We came to sojourn in your land, because there is no grass for the flocks of your servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Canaan. And we petition you that you may order us, your servants, to be in the land of Goshen.”

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

And so the king said to Joseph: “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 in your sight. Cause them to live in the best place, and deliver to them the land of Goshen. And if you know there to be industrious men among them, appoint these as foremen over my cattle.”

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

After this, Joseph brought in his father to the king, and he stood him in his sight. He blessed him,

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

and he questioned him: “How many are the days of the years of your life?”

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.

He responded, “The days of my sojourn are one hundred and thirty years, few and unworthy, and they do not reach even to the days of the sojourning of my fathers.”

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

And blessing the king, he went outside.

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.

Truly, Joseph gave his father and brothers a possession in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Rameses, as Pharaoh had instructed.

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.

And he fed them, along with all his father’s house, providing portions of food to each one.

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,

For in the whole world there was a lack of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land, most of all Egypt and Canaan,

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.

from which he gathered together all the money for the grain that they bought, and he took it into the treasury of the king.

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?

And when the buyers had run out of money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: “Give us bread. Why should we die in your sight, lacking money?”

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

And he responded to them: “Bring me your cattle, and I will give food to you in exchange for them, if you do not have money.”

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.

And when they had brought them, he gave them food for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and donkeys. And he sustained them in that year in exchange for their cattle.

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:

Likewise, they came the second year, and they said to him: “We will not conceal from our lord that our money is gone; likewise our cattle are gone. Neither are you unaware that we have nothing left but 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.

Therefore, why should you watch us die? Both we and our land will be yours. Buy us into royal servitude, but provide seed, lest by the dying off of cultivators the land be reduced to a wilderness.”

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.

Therefore, Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, each one selling his possessions because of the magnitude of the famine. And he subjected it to Pharaoh,

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.

along with all of its people, from the newest borders of Egypt, even to its furthest limits,

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.

except the land of the priests, which had been delivered to them by the king. To these also a portion of food was supplied out of the public storehouses, and, for this reason, they were not compelled to sell their possessions.

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;

Therefore, Joseph said to the people: “So, as you discern, both you and your lands are possessed by Pharaoh; take seed and sow the fields,

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.

so that you may be able to have grain. One fifth part you will give to the king; the remaining four I permit to you, as seed and as food for your families 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.

And they responded: “Our health is in your hand; only let our lord look kindly upon us, and we will serve the king with gladness.”

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.

From that time, even to the present day, in the entire land of Egypt, the fifth part is turned over to the kings, and it has become like a law, except in the land of the priests, which was free from this condition.

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

And so, Israel lived in Egypt, that is, in the land of Goshen, and he possessed it. And he increased and was multiplied exceedingly.

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 he lived in it seventeen years. And all the days of his life that passed were one hundred and forty-seven 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.

And when he discerned that the day of his death was approaching, he called his son Joseph, and he said to him: “If I have found favor in your sight, place your hand under my thigh. And you shall show me mercy and truth, not to 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 I shall sleep with my fathers, and you will carry me from this land and bury me in the sepulcher of my ancestors.” And Joseph answered him, “I will do what you have ordered.”

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.

And he said, “Then swear it to me.” And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the head of his resting place.