Genesis 45

Joseph Reveals His Identity

1 Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants, so he called out, "Send everyone away from me!" No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. 2 But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh's household heard it.

3 Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were too terrified to answer him.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please, come near me," and they came near. "I am Joseph, your brother," he said, "the one you sold into Egypt. 5 And now don't be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7 God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 "Return quickly to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: "God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. 10 You can settle in the land of Goshen and be near me-you, your children, and grandchildren, your sheep, cattle, and all you have. 11 There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute."' 12 Look! Your eyes and my brother Benjamin's eyes can see that it is I [, Joseph,] who am speaking to you.

13 Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly."
14 Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder.

15 Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

The Return for Jacob

16 When the news reached Pharaoh's palace, "Joseph's brothers have come," Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan. 18 Get your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you can eat from the richness of the land.' 19 You are also commanded, 'Do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your young children and your wives and bring your father here.

20 Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'"
21 The sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave each of the brothers changes of clothes, but he gave Benjamin 300 pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 He sent his father the following: 10 donkeys carrying the best products of Egypt and 10 female donkeys carrying grain, food, and provisions for his father on the journey.

24 So Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, "Don't argue on the way."
25 So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They said, "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!" Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them.

27 But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

28 Then Israel said, "Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die."

Genesis 46

Jacob Leaves for Egypt

1 Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

2 That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: "Jacob, Jacob!" He said.
And Jacob replied, "Here I am."
3 God said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.

4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will put his hands on your eyes."
5 Jacob left Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their children and their wives. 6 They also took their cattle and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Then Jacob and all his children went with him to Egypt.

7 His sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters, indeed all his offspring, he brought with him to Egypt.

Jacob's Family

8 These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt:
Jacob's firstborn: Reuben.
9 Reuben's sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 Simeon's sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 Judah's sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
Perez's sons: Hezron and Hamul.
13 Issachar's sons: Tola, Puvah, Jashub, and Shimron.
14 Zebulun's sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These were Leah's sons born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, as well as his daughter Dinah. The total number of persons: 33.
16 Gad's sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 Asher's sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.
Beriah's sons were Heber and Malchiel.
18 These were the sons of Zilpah-whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah-that she bore to Jacob: 16 persons.
19 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. They were born to him by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, a priest at On.
21 Benjamin's sons: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22 These were Rachel's sons who were born to Jacob: 14 persons.
23 Dan's son: Hushim.
24 Naphtali's sons: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. She bore to Jacob: seven persons.
26 The total number of persons belonging to Jacob-his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob's sons-who came to Egypt: 66.

27 And Joseph's sons who were born to him in Egypt: two persons.
All those of Jacob's household who had come to Egypt: 70 persons.

Jacob Arrives in Egypt

28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival at Goshen. When they came to the land of Goshen,

29 Joseph hitched [the horses to] his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.

30 Then Israel said to Joseph, "At last I can die, now that I have seen your face [and know] you are still alive!"
31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him: My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they also raise livestock. They have brought their sheep and cattle and all that they have. 33 When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, 'What is your occupation?'

34 you are to say, 'Your servants, both we and our fathers, have raised livestock from our youth until now.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are abhorrent to Egyptians."

Genesis 47

Pharaoh Welcomes Jacob

1 So Joseph went and informed Pharaoh: "My father and my brothers, with their sheep and cattle and all that they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the land of Goshen."
2 He took five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

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

4 Then they said to Pharaoh, "We have come to live in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants' sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen."
5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "[Now that] your father and brothers have come to you,

6 the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."
7 Joseph then brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

8 Then Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many years have you lived?"
9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, "My pilgrimage has lasted 130 years. My years have been few and hard, and they have not surpassed the years of my fathers during their pilgrimages."

10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from Pharaoh's presence.
11 Then Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food for their dependents.

The Land Becomes Pharaoh's

13 But there was no food in that entire region, for the famine was very severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan were exhausted by the famine. 14 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 purchasing, and he brought the money to Pharaoh's palace.

15 When the money from the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die here in front of you? The money is gone!"
16 But Joseph said, "Give me your livestock. Since the money is gone, I will give you food in exchange for your livestock."

17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for the horses, the herds of sheep, the herds of cattle, and the donkeys. That year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came the next year and said to him, "We cannot hide from our lord that the money is gone and that all our livestock belongs to our lord. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.

19 Why should we die here in front of you-both us and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh's slaves. Give us seed so that we can live and not die, and so that the land won't become desolate."
20 In this way, Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field since the famine was so severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Joseph moved the people to the cities from one end of Egypt to the other.

22 The only land he didn't acquire was the priests' portion, for it was given to them by Pharaoh. They lived off the rations Pharaoh had given them; therefore they did not sell their land.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, "Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you. Sow it in the land.

24 At harvest, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your households, and your dependents."
25 And they said, "You have saved our lives. We have found favor in our lord's eyes and will be Pharaoh's slaves."

26 So Joseph made it a law, still in effect today in the land of Egypt, that a fifth [of the produce] belongs to Pharaoh. Only the priests' land does not belong to Pharaoh.

Israel Settles in Goshen

27 Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property in it and became fruitful and very numerous. 28 Now Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years, and his life span was 147 years. 29 When the time drew near for him 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 me] that you will deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt.

30 When I rest with my fathers, carry me away from Egypt and bury me in their burial place."
Joseph answered, "I will do what you have asked."

31 And Jacob said, "Swear to me." So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed [in thanks] at the head of his bed.