Genesis 47
He Bought Them All, and They Called It Life
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Israel Settles in Egypt
47:1Joseph came and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, their livestock and oxen, and everything they have, have come from Canaan. They are in the land of Gesem.”
47:2And among his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh.
47:3And Pharaoh said to Joseph’s brothers, “What is your work?” And they replied to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds of sheep, both we and our fathers.”
47:4They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land. There is no pasture for your servants’ livestock, because the famine in Canaan is severe. Now we, your servants, will live in Gesem.”
47:5Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Let them live in Gesem. If you know of capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” Jacob and his sons came to Joseph in Egypt, and Pharaoh king of Egypt heard of it. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and brothers have come to you.”
47:6“The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and brothers in the best of the land.”
47:7Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
47:8And Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How many are the years of the days of your life?”
47:9Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are one hundred thirty. Few and difficult have been the years of my life, and they have not reached the years of my fathers’ lives in their sojourning.”
47:10And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from his presence.
47:11So Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and granted them a holding in the land of Egypt, in the best part of the land, in the land of Rameses, just as Pharaoh had commanded.
47:12Joseph allotted grain to his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, measured for each person.
Joseph’s Saving Grace
47:13There was no grain in all the land, for the famine was very severe. Egypt and Canaan languished because of the famine.
47:14Joseph collected all the silver found in Egypt and Canaan for the grain they bought, and he allotted grain to them. Joseph brought all the silver into Pharaoh’s house.
47:15And when all the silver was spent out of the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, saying, “Give us bread! Why should we die right before your eyes? For our silver is completely gone.”
47:16Then Joseph said, “Bring your livestock, and I will give you bread in exchange for your livestock, if your silver is gone.”
47:17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for their horses, their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys; thus he nourished them with bread in exchange for all their livestock during that year.
47:18When that year ended, they came to him the next year and said, “Do not let us be wiped out before our lord. Our silver is spent, and our possessions and livestock have gone to you, our lord. Nothing remains before my lord except our own bodies and our land.”
47:19“So that we do not die before you and the land become desolate, buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give seed so we may sow and live and not die, and the land will not become desolate.”
47:20Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians sold their land to Pharaoh because the famine bore heavily upon them, and the land became Pharaoh’s.
47:21As for the people, he enslaved them for him, from one end of Egypt’s territory to the other.
47:22Only the priests’ land he did not buy, for Pharaoh provided the priests an allowance. They lived on the allowance Pharaoh gave them, so they did not sell their land.
47:23Joseph said to all the Egyptians, “I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Take seed and sow the land.”
47:24“And it shall be, that from its harvests you shall give a fifth part to Pharaoh, but the other four-fifths shall be your own—as seed for the field, as food for yourselves, and for everyone inside your households.”
47:25They said, “You have saved us. We have found favor before our lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”
47:26Joseph established this rule concerning Egypt’s land, remaining to this day: Pharaoh receives a fifth. Only the priests’ land did not become Pharaoh’s.
Israel’s Final Request
47:27Israel lived in Egypt, in Gesem. They inherited holdings there, increased, and multiplied greatly.
47:28Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years. The years of Jacob’s life totaled one hundred forty-seven.
47:29When Israel’s days to die drew near, he called Joseph his son and said, “If I have found favor before you, put your hand under my thigh and deal with me in mercy and truth: do not bury me in Egypt.”
47:30“But I will sleep with my fathers, and you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their tomb.” And Joseph replied, “I will do according to your word.”
47:31He said, “Swear to me.” He swore to him, and Israel bowed in worship upon the top of his staff.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.