CHAPTER 46
So Israel
set out
with all
that
he had,
and when he came
to
Beersheba,
he offered
sacrifices
to the God
of his father
Isaac.
And that night
God
spoke
to Israel
in a vision:
“Jacob,
Jacob!”
He said.
“Here I am,”
replied Jacob.
“I
am God,”
He said,
“the God
of your father.
Do not
be afraid
to go down
to Egypt,
for
I will make
you into a great
nation
there.
I
will go down
with
you to Egypt,
and I
will surely
bring you back.
And Joseph’s
own hands
will close
your eyes.”
Then Jacob
departed
from
Beersheba,
and the sons
of Israel
took
their father
Jacob
in the wagons
Pharaoh
had sent
to carry him,
along with their children
and wives.
They also took
their livestock
and the possessions
they had acquired
in the land
of Canaan,
and Jacob
and all
his offspring
went
to Egypt.
He took
with him
to Egypt
his sons
and grandsons,
and his daughters
and granddaughters—
all
his offspring.
Now these
are the names
of the sons
of Israel
(Jacob
and his descendants)
who went
to Egypt:
Reuben,
Jacob’s
firstborn.
The sons
of Judah:
Er,
Onan,
Shelah,
Perez,
and Zerah;
but Er
and Onan
died
in the land
of Canaan.
The sons
of Perez:
Hezron
and Hamul.
These
are the sons
of Leah
born
to Jacob
in Paddan-aram,
in addition to his daughter
Dinah.
The total
number
of sons
and daughters
was thirty-three.
The sons
of Asher:
Imnah,
Ishvah,
Ishvi,
Beriah,
and their sister
Serah.
The sons
of Beriah:
Heber
and Malchiel.
These
are the sons
of Jacob
born
to Zilpah—
whom
Laban
gave
to his daughter
Leah—
sixteen
in all.
Manasseh
and Ephraim
were born
to Joseph
in the land
of Egypt
by Asenath
daughter
of Potiphera,
priest
of On.
These
are the sons
of Jacob
born
to Bilhah,
whom
Laban
gave
to his daughter
Rachel—
seven
in all.
All those
belonging to Jacob
who came
to Egypt—
his direct descendants,
besides
the wives
of Jacob’s
sons—
numbered sixty-six
persons.
And along with Joseph’s
two
sons
who
were born
to him
in Egypt,
in all
there were
seventy
members
of Jacob’s
household
in Egypt.
Now Jacob had sent
Judah
ahead of
him to
Joseph
to get directions
to Goshen.
When Jacob’s family arrived
in the land
of Goshen,
Joseph
prepared
his chariot
and went
there
to meet
his father
Israel.
Joseph presented
himself to him,
embraced
him,
and wept
profusely.
Then Israel
said
to
Joseph,
“Finally I can die,
now
that I have seen
your face
and know that
you are still
alive!”
Joseph
said
to
his brothers
and to
his father’s
household,
“I will go up
and inform
Pharaoh:
‘My brothers
and my father’s
household
from the land
of Canaan
have come
to me.
The men
are shepherds;
they raise livestock,
and they have brought
their flocks
and herds
and all
that
they own.’
you are to say,
‘Your servants
have raised livestock
ever since our youth—
both
we
and
our fathers.’
Then
you will be allowed to settle
in the land
of Goshen,
since
all
shepherds
are detestable
to the Egyptians.”