Genesis 47

1-2 Joseph took five of his brothers to the king and told him, “My father and my brothers have come from Canaan. They have brought their sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else they own to the region of Goshen.” Then he introduced his brothers to the king,3 who asked them, “What do you do for a living?” “Sir, we are shepherds,” was their answer. “Our families have always raised sheep.

4 But in our country all the pastures are dried up, and our sheep have no grass to eat. So we, your servants, have come here. Please let us live in the region of Goshen.”
5 The king said to Joseph, “It’s good that your father and brothers have arrived.

6 I will let them live anywhere they choose in the land of Egypt, but I suggest that they settle in Goshen, the best part of our land. I would also like for your finest shepherds to watch after my own sheep and goats.”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and introduced him to the king. Jacob gave the king his blessing,

8 and the king asked him, “How old are you?”
9 Jacob answered, “I have lived only a hundred thirty years, and I have had to move from place to place. My parents and my grandparents also had to move from place to place. But they lived much longer, and their life was not as hard as mine.”10 Then Jacob gave the king his blessing once again and left.11 Joseph obeyed the king’s orders and gave his father and brothers some of the best land in Egypt near the city of Rameses.12 Joseph also provided food for their families.

A Famine in Egypt

13 The famine was bad everywhere in Egypt and Canaan, and the people were suffering terribly.14 So Joseph sold them the grain that had been stored up, and he put the moneyt in the king’s treasury.

15 But when everyone had run out of money, the Egyptians came to Joseph and demanded, “Give us more grain! If you don’t, we’ll soon be dead, because our money’s all gone.”
16 “If you don’t have any money,” Joseph answered, “give me your animals, and I’ll let you have some grain.”17 From then on, they brought him their horses and donkeys and their sheep and goats in exchange for grain. Within a year Joseph had collected every animal in Egypt.18 Then the people came to him and said: Sir, there’s no way we can hide the truth from you. We are broke, and we don’t have any more animals. We have nothing left except ourselves and our land.

19 Don’t let us starve and our land be ruined. If you’ll give us grain to eat and seed to plant, we’ll sell ourselves and our land to the king.t We’ll become his slaves.
20 The famine became so severe that Joseph finally bought every piece of land in Egypt for the king21 and made everyone the king’s slaves,t22 except the priests. The king gave the priests a regular food allowance, so they did not have to sell their land.23 Then Joseph said to the people, “You and your land now belong to the king. I’m giving you seed to plant,

24 but one-fifth of your crops must go to the king. You can keep the rest as seed or as food for your families.”
25 “Sir, you have saved our lives!” they answered. “We are glad to be slaves of the king.”26 Then Joseph made a law that one-fifth of the harvest would always belong to the king. Only the priests did not lose their land.

Jacob Becomes an Old Man

27 The people of Israel made their home in the land of Goshen, where they became prosperous and had large families.28 Jacob himself lived there for seventeen years, before dying at the age of one hundred forty-seven.29 t29 When Jacob knew he did not have long to live, he called in Joseph and said, “If you really love me, you must make a solemn promise not to bury me in Egypt.

30 Instead, bury me in the place where my ancestors are buried.” “I will do what you have asked,” Joseph answered.

31 “Will you give me your word?” Jacob asked. “Yes, I will,” Joseph promised. After this, Jacob bowed down and prayed at the head of his bed.

Genesis 48

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Two Sons

1 Joseph was told that his father Jacob had become very sick. So Joseph went to see him and took along his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2 When Joseph arrived, someone told Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” Jacob sat up in bed, but it took almost all his strength.
3 t Jacob told Joseph: God All-Powerful appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, where he gave me his blessing

4 and promised, “I will give you a large family with many descendants that will grow into a nation. And I am giving you this land that will belong to you and your family forever.”
5 Then Jacob went on to say: Joseph, your two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt, but I accept them as my own, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.6 Any children you have later will be considered yours, but their inheritance will come from Ephraim and Manasseh.

7 t7 Unfortunately, your mother Rachel died in Canaan after we had left northern Syriat and before we reached Bethlehem.t And I had to bury her along the way.

8-10 Jacob was very old and almost blind. He did not recognize the two boys, and so he asked Joseph, “Who are these boys?” Joseph answered, “They are my sons. God has given them to me here in Egypt.”
“Bring them to me,” Jacob said. “I want to give them my blessing.” Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged and kissed them.

11 Jacob turned to Joseph and told him, “For many years I thought you were dead and that I would never see you again. But now God has even let me live to see your children.”

12 Then Joseph made his sons move away from Jacob’s knees,t and Joseph bowed down in front of him with his face to the ground.
13 After Joseph got up, he brought his two sons over to Jacob again. He led his younger son Ephraim to the left side of Jacob and his older son Manasseh to the right.14 But before Jacob gave them his blessing, he crossed his arms, putting his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on the head of Manasseh.15 Then he gave Joseph his blessing and said: My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac worshiped the Lord God. He has been with me all my life,

16 and his angel has kept me safe. Now I pray that he will bless these boys and that my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac will live on because of them. I ask God to give them many children and many descendants as well.
17 Joseph did not like it when he saw his father place his right hand on the head of the younger son. So he tried to move his father’s right hand from Ephraim’s head and place it on Manasseh.

18 Joseph said, “Father, you have made a mistake. This is the older boy. Put your right hand on him.”

19 But his father said, “Son, I know what I am doing. It’s true that Manasseh’s family will someday become a great nation. But Ephraim will be even greater than Manasseh, because his descendants will become many great nations.”
20 t Jacob told him that in the future the people of Israel would ask God’s blessings on one another by saying, “I pray for God to bless you as much as he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh.” Jacob put Ephraim’s name first to show that he would be greater than Manasseh.21 After that, Jacob said, “Joseph, you can see that I won’t live much longer. But God will be with you and will lead you back to the land he promised our family long ago.

22 Meanwhile, I’m giving you the hillsidet I captured from the Amorites.”

Genesis 49

Jacob Blesses His Sons

1 t1 Jacob called his sons together and said: My sons, I am Jacob,
your father Israel.

2 Come, gather around, as I tell your future.

3 Reuben, you are my oldest, born at the peak of my powers;
you were an honored leader.

4 Uncontrollable as a flood, you slept with my wife
and disgraced my bed.
And so you no longer deserve
the place of honor.

5 Simeon and Levi, you are brothers,
each a gruesome sword.

6 I never want to take part in your plans or deeds.
You slaughtered people
in your anger,
and you crippled cattle
for no reason.

7 Now I place a curse on you because of
your fierce anger.
Your descendants
will be scattered
among the tribes of Israel.

8 Judah, you will be praised by your brothers;
they will bow down to you,
as you defeat your enemies.

9 t9My son, you are a lion ready to eat your victim!
You are terribly fierce;
no one will bother you.

10 You will have power and rule until nations obey you t and come bringing gifts.

11 You will tie your donkey to a choice grapevine
and wash your clothes
in wine from those grapes.

12 Your eyes are darker than wine, your teeth whiter than milk.

13 Zebulun, you will settle along the seashore
and provide safe harbors
as far north as Sidon.

14 Issachar, you are a strong donkey resting in the meadows. t

15 You found them so pleasant that you worked too hard
and became a slave.

16 Dan,t you are the tribe that will bring justice
to Israel.

17 You are a snake that bites the heel of a horse,
making its rider fall.

18 Our Lord, I am waiting for you to save us.

19 Gad,t you will be attacked, then attack your attackers.

20 Asher, you will eat food fancy enough for a king.

21 Naphtali, you are a wild deer with lovely fawns. t

22 Joseph, you are a fruitful vine growing near a stream
and climbing a wall. t

23 Enemies attacked with arrows, refusing to show mercy.

24 But you stood your ground, swiftly shooting back
with the help of Jacob’s God,
the All-Powerful One—
his name is the Shepherd,
Israel’s mighty rock. t

25 Your help came from the God your father worshiped,
from God All-Powerful.
God will bless you with rain
and streams from the earth;
he will bless you
with many descendants.

26 My son, the blessings I give are better than the promise
of ancient mountains
or eternal hills. t Joseph, I pray these blessings
will come to you,
because you are the leader
of your brothers.

27 Benjamin, you are a fierce wolf, destroying your enemies
morning and evening.

28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is how Jacob gave each of them their proper blessings.

Jacob’s Death

29-31 tt29-31 Jacob told his sons: Soon I will die, and I want you to bury me in Machpelah Cave. Abraham bought this cave as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, and it is near the town of Mamre in Canaan. Abraham and Sarah are buried there, and so are Isaac and Rebekah. I buried Leah there too.

32 Both the cave and the land that goes with it were bought from the Hittites.

33 t When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he lay down on his bed and died.