Genesis
Chapter 47
1 Joseph went to Pharaoh and said, “My father, my brothers, their sheep, their cattle, and everything they own have left the land of Canaan, and now they are in the land of Goshen.”
2 He took five of his brothers and introduced them to Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh asked his brothers, “What do you do for work?” They answered Pharaoh, “We are shepherds, just like our ancestors.”
4 They also told Pharaoh, “We have come to stay in the land for a short time because our flocks have no grass to eat; there is a severe famine in Canaan. So now, please let us live in Goshen.”
5 The Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.”
6 Egypt is in front of you; have your father and brothers live in the best part of the land, let them stay in Goshen. If there are any skilled men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.
7 Joseph brought his father Jacob to meet Pharaoh, and Jacob gave Pharaoh his blessing.
8 And Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How old are you?”
9 Jacob told Pharaoh, “I have lived for 130 years. My life has been short and difficult, not as long as my ancestors lived during their lives.”
10 Jacob blessed the king and left his presence.
11 Joseph settled his father and brothers, and gave them property in Egypt’s best part, the region of Rameses, following Pharaoh’s orders.
12 Joseph provided food for his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to the size of their families.
13 There was no bread in the whole country because the famine was very severe, and the lands of Egypt and Canaan grew weak because of the hunger.
14 Joseph collected all the money from Egypt and Canaan used to buy grain, and he took it to Pharaoh’s palace.
15 When there was no more money in Egypt and Canaan, everyone in Egypt went to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die in front of you? There’s no more money.”
16 Joseph said, “Give me your livestock, and I will give you food for them since you have no more money.”
17 People brought their animals to Joseph, and he gave them bread for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He provided them bread to feed all their animals for that year.
18 After that year finished, they came to him in the second year and said, “We cannot keep it secret from you: our money is gone. You also have our livestock. There is nothing left for you to see except our bodies and our land.”
19 Why should we die in front of you, including us and our land? Take us and our land in exchange for food, and we and our land will serve the king. Give us seed so we can live and not die, and so the land won’t be empty.
20 Joseph bought all of Egypt’s land for the king, because the people sold their fields due to the severe famine. Thus, the land belonged to the king.
21 He moved the people to towns from one end of Egypt to the other.
22 He did not buy the land of the priests because Pharaoh had given them a part to live on, and they ate from that part, so they did not sell their land.
23 Joseph told the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is some seed for you to plant in the land.”
24 When the crops grow, you must give one-fifth to the ruler and keep four-fifths for yourselves, to plant the fields, to feed yourselves, your families, and your children.
25 They said, “You have saved our lives. May we have favor in your eyes, and we will be servants to the Pharaoh.”
26 Joseph made a rule in Egypt that still exists today, that the ruler gets one-fifth of the crops, except for the priests’ lands, which the ruler does not own.
27 Israel lived in Egypt, in the region of Goshen; they owned property there, and they grew very numerous and multiplied greatly.
28 Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years, making his total lifespan 147 years.
29 The time came for Israel to die, so he called his son Joseph and said, “If I have your favor, please put your hand under my leg and promise to treat me with kindness and honesty; do not bury me in Egypt.”
30 I will be buried with my ancestors, and you will take me from Egypt and bury me where they are buried. He replied, “I will do what you ask.”
31 He said, “Promise me.” So he promised. And Israel leaned on the top of his bed.