Genesis 47

Jacob Settles in Goshen

1 Joseph went in to the king and said, “My father and my brothers have arrived from Canaan with their flocks and herds and everything they own. They are now in the land of Goshen.”2 Joseph chose five of his brothers to introduce to the king.

3 
The king said to the brothers, “What work do you do?”
And they said to him, “We, your servants, are shepherds, just as our ancestors were.”4 They said to the king, “We have come to live in this land, because there is no grass in the land of Canaan for our animals to eat, and the hunger is terrible there. So please allow us to live in the land of Goshen.”

5 
Then the king said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you,6 and you may choose any place in Egypt for them to live. Give your father and your brothers the best land; let them live in the land of Goshen. And if any of them are skilled shepherds, put them in charge of my sheep and cattle.”

7 
Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and introduced him to the king, and Jacob blessed the king.

8 
Then the king said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

9 
Jacob said to him, “My life has been spent wandering from place to place. It has been short and filled with trouble—only one hundred thirty years. My ancestors lived much longer than I.”10 Then Jacob blessed the king and left.11 Joseph obeyed the king and gave his father and brothers the best land in Egypt, near the city of Rameses.12 And Joseph gave his father, his brothers, and everyone who lived with them the food they needed.

Joseph Buys Land for the King

13 The hunger became worse, and since there was no food anywhere in the land, Egypt and Canaan became very poor.14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan. People paid for the grain they were buying, and he brought that money to the king’s palace.15 After some time, when the people in Egypt and Canaan had no money left, they went to Joseph and said, “Please give us food. Our money is gone, and if we don’t eat, we will die here in front of you.”16 Joseph answered, “Since you have no money, give me your farm animals, and I will give you food in return.”17 So people brought their farm animals to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. And he kept them alive by trading food for their farm animals that year.18 The next year the people came to Joseph and said, “You know we have no money left, and all our animals belong to you. We have nothing left except our bodies and our land.19 Surely both we and our land will die here in front of you. Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we will be slaves to the king, together with our land. Give us seed to plant so that we will live and not die, and the land will not become a desert.”

20 
So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for the king. Every Egyptian sold Joseph his field, because the hunger was very great. So the land became the king’s,21 and Joseph made the people slaves from one end of Egypt to the other.22 The only land he did not buy was the land the priests owned. They did not need to sell their land because the king paid them for their work. So they had money to buy food.

23 
Joseph said to the people, “Now I have bought you and your land for the king, so I will give you seed and you can plant your fields.24 At harvest time you must give one-fifth to the king. You may keep four-fifths for yourselves to use as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your families, and your children.”

25 
The people said, “You have saved our lives. If you like, we will become slaves of the king.”

26 
So Joseph made a law in Egypt, which continues today: One-fifth of everything from the land belongs to the king. The only land the king did not get was the priests’ land.

“Don’t Bury Me in Egypt”

27 

The Israelites continued to live in the land of Goshen in Egypt. There they got possessions and had many children and grew in number.

28 
Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, so he lived to be one hundred forty-seven years old.29 When Israel knew he soon would die, he called his son Joseph to him and said to him, “If you love me, put your hand under my leg. Promise me you will not bury me in Egypt.

30 When I die, carry me out of Egypt, and bury me where my ancestors are buried.”
Joseph answered, “I will do as you say.”

31 
Then Jacob said, “Promise me.” And Joseph promised him that he would do this. Then Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his walking stick.

Genesis 48

Blessings for Manasseh and Ephraim

1 Some time later Joseph learned that his father was very sick, so he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim and went to his father.2 When Joseph arrived, someone told Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” Jacob was weak, so he used all his strength and sat up on his bed.

3 
Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me there.4 He said to me, ‘I will give you many children. I will make you the father of many peoples, and I will give your descendants this land forever.’5 Your two sons, who were born here in Egypt before I came, will be counted as my own sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will be my sons just as Reuben and Simeon are my sons.6 But if you have other children, they will be your own, and their land will be part of the land given to Ephraim and Manasseh.7 When I came from Northwest Mesopotamia, Rachel died in the land of Canaan, as we were traveling toward Ephrath. This made me very sad, and I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.” (Today Ephrath is Bethlehem.)

8 
Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons and said, “Who are these boys?”

9 
Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons that God has given me here in Egypt.”
Israel said, “Bring your sons to me so I may bless them.”10 At this time Israel’s eyesight was bad because he was old. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Israel kissed the boys and put his arms around them.11 He said to Joseph, “I thought I would never see you alive again, and now God has let me see you and also your children.”12 Then Joseph moved his sons off Israel’s lap and bowed facedown to the ground.13 He put Ephraim on his right side and Manasseh on his left. (So Ephraim was near Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh was near Israel’s right hand.) Joseph brought the boys close to Israel.14 But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, who was younger. He put his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn son.15 And Israel blessed Joseph and said,“My ancestors Abraham and Isaac served our God,and like a shepherd God has led me all my life.16 He was the Angel who saved me from all my troubles.Now I pray that he will bless these boys. May my name be known through these boys,and may the names of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac be known through them.May they have many descendantson the earth.”17 When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he didn’t like it. So he took hold of his father’s hand, wanting to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.18 Joseph said to his father, “You are doing it wrong, Father. Manasseh is the firstborn son. Put your right hand on his head.”19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. Manasseh will be great and have many descendants. But his younger brother will be greater, and his descendants will be enough to make a nation.”

20 
So Israel blessed them that day and said,
“When a blessing is given in Israel, they will say:
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ ”
In this way he made Ephraim greater than Manasseh.

21 
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look at me; I am about to die. But God will be with you and will take you back to the land of your fathers.22 I have given you something that I did not give your brothers—the land of Shechem that I took from the Amorite people with my sword and my bow.”

Genesis 49

Jacob Blesses His Sons

1 Then Jacob called his sons to him. He said, “Come here to me, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the future.

2 
“Come together and listen, sons of Jacob.
Listen to Israel, your father.”

3 
“Reuben, my first son, you are my strength.
Your birth showed I could be a father.
You have the highest position among my sons,
and you are the most powerful.

4 
But you are uncontrolled like water,
so you will no longer lead your brothers.
This is because you got into your father’s bed
and shamed me by having sexual relations with my slave girl.

5 
“Simeon and Levi are brothers
who used their swords to do violence.

6 
I will not join their secret talks,
and I will not meet with them to plan evil.
They killed men because they were angry,
and they crippled oxen just for fun.

7 
May their anger be cursed, because it is too violent.
May their violence be cursed, because it is too cruel.
I will divide them up among the tribes of Jacob
and scatter them through all the tribes of Israel.

8 
“Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grab your enemies by the neck,
and your brothers will bow down to you.

9 
Judah is like a young lion.
You have returned from killing, my son.
Like a lion, he stretches out and lies down to rest,
and no one is brave enough to wake him.10 Kings will come from Judah’s family;someone from Judah will always be on the throne.Judah will rule until Shiloh comes,and the nations will obey him.11 He ties his donkey to a grapevine,his young donkey to the best branch.He can afford to use wine to wash his clothesand the best wine to wash his robes.12 His eyes are dark like the color of wine,and his teeth are as white as the color of milk.13 “Zebulun will live near the sea.His shore will be a safe place for ships,and his land will reach as far as Sidon.14 “Issachar is like a strong donkeywho lies down while carrying his load.15 When he sees his resting place is goodand how pleasant his land is,he will put his back to the loadand become a slave.16 “Dan will rule his own peoplelike the other tribes in Israel.17 Dan will be like a snake by the side of the road,a dangerous snake lying near the path.That snake bites a horse’s leg,and the rider is thrown off backward.18 “Lord, I wait for your salvation.19 “Robbers will attack Gad,but he will defeat them and drive them away.

20 
“Asher’s land will grow much good food;
he will grow food fit for a king.

21 
“Naphtali is like a female deer that runs free,
that has beautiful fawns.

22 
“Joseph is like a grapevine that produces much fruit,
a healthy vine watered by a spring,
whose branches grow over the wall.

23 
Archers attack him violently
and shoot at him angrily,

24 
but he aims his bow well.
His arms are made strong.
He gets his power from the Mighty God of Jacob
and his strength from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

25 
Your father’s God helps you.
God Almighty blesses you.
He blesses you with rain from above,
with water from springs below,
with many babies born to your wives,
and many young ones born to your animals.

26 
The blessings of your father are greater
than the blessings of the oldest mountains,
greater than the good things of the long-lasting hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,
on the forehead of the one who was separated from his brothers.

27 
“Benjamin is like a hungry wolf.
In the morning he eats what he has caught,
and in the evening he divides what he has taken.”

28 
These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them. He gave each son the blessing that was right for him.29 Then Israel gave them a command and said, “I am about to die. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.30 That cave is in the field of Machpelah east of Mamre in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought the field and cave from Ephron the Hittite for a burying place.31 Abraham and Sarah his wife are buried there. Isaac and Rebekah his wife are buried there, and I buried my wife Leah there.32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittite people.”33 After Jacob finished talking to his sons, he lay down. He put his feet back on the bed, took his last breath, and died.