Genesis 47

Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

1Then 1Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of 2Goshen.” 2He took five men from among his brothers and 3presented them to Pharaoh. 3Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “4What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are 5shepherds, both we and our fathers.” 4They said to Pharaoh, “6We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for 7the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, please let your servants 89live in the land of Goshen.” 5Then Pharaoh said to 10Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6The land of Egypt is 11at your disposal; 12settle your father and your brothers in 13the best of the land, let them 14live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any 15capable men among them, then 16put them in charge of my livestock.”

7Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and 17presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob 18blessed Pharaoh. 8Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many 19years have you lived?” 9So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The 2021years of my sojourning are one hundred and 22thirty; few and 23unpleasant have been the 24years of my life, nor have they 25attained 26the 27years 28that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.” 10And Jacob 29blessed Pharaoh, and went out from 30his presence. 11So Joseph 31settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in 32the best of the land, in the land of 33Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. 12Joseph 34provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with 35food, according to their little ones.

13Now there was no 36food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that 37the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 1438Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph 39and said, “Give us 40food, for 41why should we die in your presence? For our money 42is gone.” 16Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money 43is gone.” 17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them 44food in exchange for the horses and the 45flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he 46fed them with 47food in exchange for all their livestock 48that year. 18When that year was ended, they came to him the 49next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the 50cattle are my lord’s. There is nothing left 51for my lord except our bodies and our lands. 19Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for 52food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

Result of the Famine

20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for 53every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s. 21As for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other. 22Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they 54lived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. 23Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. 2455At the harvest you shall give a 56fifth to Pharaoh, and 57four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.” 25So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; 58only the land of the priests 59did not become Pharaoh’s.

27Now Israel 60lived in the land of Egypt, in 61Goshen, and they 62acquired property in it and 63were fruitful and became very numerous. 28Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 64seventeen years; so the 65length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.

29When 6667the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, 68place now your hand under my thigh and 69deal with me in kindness and 70faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30but when I 71lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in 72their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.” 31He said, “73Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then 74Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.