How Joseph Ruled Egypt During the Rest of the Famine

47:13-26

13 Now after a while, the famine became so severe in the entire world that there was very little food available anywhere. The people of the country of Egypt and the region of Canaan were suffering badly because they did not have enough to eat. 14 So they bought grain from Joseph until there was no more money left in the country of Egypt or the region of Canaan. Joseph had his servants take the money to Pharaoh’s palace. 15 When the people in Egypt and Canaan had spent all their money, people from all over Egypt went to Joseph and begged him, “Sir, we have no more money! Please give us food so that we do not starve to death!” 16 Joseph responded, “Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock to pay for the food that I will give you.” 17 So the people brought their livestock to Joseph. They gave him their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys to pay for the food that he gave them. In that way Joseph supplied the people with food that year, and they gave him all their livestock to pay for it.

18 After that year was over, the people went to Joseph again in the following year and pleaded with him, “Sir, as you know, our money is gone and all our livestock belong to you. The only way we can pay you for food is to give you our farmland and work for you, sir. 19 Please do not just watch us die or let our land become wasteland. Instead, please take us and our land in exchange for food. Then we will be King Pharaoh’s slaves, and our land will also be his. Please give us seeds to plant so that we can stay alive and not starve to death, and so that the land will not become a desert!”

20 So Joseph agreed and acquired all the land in the country of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold their fields to him in exchange for food, because the food shortage was so severe. In that way, all the land became Pharaoh’s property. 21 Joseph also relocated the people to the cities throughout the entire country of Egypt. 22 The only land that he did not buy was the priests’ land, because they regularly received a certain amount of food from Pharaoh, and they had enough to eat from what he gave to them. That is why they did not need to sell their land to buy food.

23 Next Joseph announced to the Egyptian people, “Listen, now that you and your farmland belong to King Pharaoh, here are some seeds for you so that you can plant them in the fields. 24 Then every harvest season, you must give him one-fifth of the crops you harvest. The rest of what you harvest will be yours to use to plant in the fields and as food for you and your families, including your children.” 25 The people replied to him, “You have saved our lives! Please continue to be kind to us, sir, and we will agree to be King Pharaoh’s servants.” 26 So Joseph made a law that required people to give to Pharaoh one-fifth of all the crops they harvested from the fields in Egypt. That law is still in effect today. The priests’ land was the only land in Egypt that did not belong to Pharaoh.