CHAPTER 47
So Joseph
went
and told
Pharaoh:
“My father
and my brothers,
with their flocks
and herds
and all
they own,
have come
from the land
of Canaan
and are now
in Goshen.”
“What
is your occupation?”
Pharaoh
asked
Joseph’s brothers.
“Your servants
are shepherds,”
they replied,
“both
we
and
our fathers.”
Then they said
to
Pharaoh,
“We have come
to live in the land
for a time,
because
there is no
pasture
for the flock
of your servants,
since
the famine
in the land
of Canaan
has been severe.
So now,
please
allow your servants
to settle
in the land
of Goshen."
the land
of Egypt
is before you;
settle
your father
and brothers
in the best
part of the land.
They may dwell
in the land
of Goshen.
And if
you know of
any talented
men among them,
put
them in charge of
my own livestock.”
Then Joseph
brought in
his father
Jacob
and presented
him before
Pharaoh,
and Jacob
blessed
Pharaoh.
“My pilgrimage
has lasted 130
years,”
Jacob
replied.
“My years
have been
few
and hard,
and they have not
matched
the years
of the lives
of my fathers.”
So Joseph
settled
his father
and brothers
in the land
of Egypt
and gave them
property
in the best
part of the land,
the district
of Rameses,
as
Pharaoh
had commanded.
Joseph also
provided
his father
and
brothers
and all
his father’s
household
with food
for
their families.
Yet there was no
food
throughout
that region,
because
the famine
was so
severe;
the lands
of Egypt
and
Canaan
had been exhausted
by
the famine.
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 buying,
and he
brought
it
into Pharaoh’s
palace.
When the money
from the lands
of Egypt
and
Canaan
was gone,
all
the Egyptians
came
to
Joseph
and said,
“Give
us
food.
Why
should we die
before your eyes?
For
our funds
have run out!"
“Then bring me
your livestock,”
said
Joseph.
“Since
the money
is gone,
I will sell
you food
in exchange for your livestock.”
So they brought
their livestock
to
Joseph,
and he
gave
them
food
in exchange for their horses,
the animals
of their flocks
and herds,
and their donkeys.
Throughout that
year
he provided
them with food
in exchange for all
their livestock.
When that
year
was over,
they came
to him
the next
year
and said,
“We cannot
hide
from our lord
that
our money
is gone
and all our livestock
belongs to
you.
There is nothing
left
for
our lord
except
our bodies
and our land.
Why
should we perish
before your eyes—
we
and
our land
as well?
Purchase
us
and
our land
in exchange for food.
Then we,
along with our land,
will be
slaves
to Pharaoh.
Give
us seed
that we may live
and not
die,
and that the land
may not
become desolate."
So Joseph
acquired
for Pharaoh
all
the land
in Egypt;
the Egyptians,
one and all,
sold
their fields
because
the famine
was so severe
upon them.
The land
became Pharaoh’s,
However,
he did not
acquire
the priests’ portion
of the land,
for
it had been given to them by Pharaoh.
They lived off
the rations that
Pharaoh
supplied;
so
they did not
sell
their land.
Then Joseph
said
to
the people,
“Now that
I have acquired
you and your land
for Pharaoh
this day,
here
is seed
for you
to sow
in the land.
At harvest time,
you are to give
a fifth
of it to Pharaoh,
and four-fifths
will be
yours
as seed
for the field
and food for yourselves
and your households
and children.”
“You have saved our lives,”
they said.
“We have found
favor
in our lord’s
eyes,
and will be
Pharaoh’s
servants.”
So Joseph
established
a law
that a fifth
of the produce belongs to Pharaoh,
and it is in effect
in
the land
of Egypt
to this
day.
Only
the priests’
land
does not
belong to
Pharaoh.
Thus the Israelites
settled
in the land
of Egypt,
in the region
of Goshen.
They acquired property
there
and became fruitful
and increased greatly
in number.
When the time
drew near
for Israel
to die,
he called
his son
Joseph
and said,
“If
I have found
favor
in your eyes,
put
your hand
under
my thigh
and promise me that you will show
me
kindness
and faithfulness.
Do not
bury me
in Egypt,
but when I lie down
with
my fathers,
carry me
out of Egypt
and bury me
with them.”
Joseph answered,
“I
will do
as you have requested.”
“Swear
to me,”
Jacob said.
So Joseph swore
to him,
and Israel
bowed
in worship at
the head
of his bed.