Israel in Egypt

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28 Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph, so that he might show him the way to Goshen. 29 When they came into the land of Goshen, Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to Goshen to meet Jacob his father, and when he presented himself to him Jacob fell on his neck and wept there a long time.

30 Then Jacob said to Joseph, ‘Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.’ 31 But Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, “My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 32 Now the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks and cattle and all that they have.” 33 When Pharaoh calls you and asks, “What is your occupation?” 34 you must say, “We, your servants have been keepers of cattle all our lives, both we and our fathers,” so that you might be allowed to live in the province of Goshen, for shepherds are looked down upon by the Egyptians.’

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47 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, ‘My father and my brothers with their sheep and cattle and all that they possess have come from the land of Canaan; and now they are in the province of Goshen.’ 2 He took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh said to them, ‘What is your occupation?’ And they said to Pharaoh, ‘We are shepherds, both we and our fathers.’ 4 They also said to Pharaoh, ‘We have come to live in the land, because there is no pasture for our flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. We beg of you, to let us stay in the province of Goshen.’ 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 the land of Egypt is at your disposal. Settle them in the best part of it. Let them stay in the province of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, put them in charge of my cattle.’

7 Joseph also brought in Jacob his father and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Then Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How many years have you lived?’ 9 Jacob answered, ‘I have lived a hundred and thirty years; few and hard have been the years of my life, and they have not been as many as those that my ancestors lived on earth.’ 10 After Jacob had blessed Pharaoh, he went out from Pharaoh’s presence. 11 So Joseph gave his father and his brothers a place to live in and a home in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, near Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

12 Joseph also provided food for his father and his brothers and all his father’s household according to the number of their little children.Students

13 There was no bread in all the land; since the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 Joseph gathered in 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.

15 When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, ‘Give us bread: for why should we die before your eyes because our money fails?’ 16 Then Joseph said, ‘Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money has failed.’ 17 So they brought their cattle to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle, and the donkeys. That year he sustained them with bread in exchange for all their cattle.

18 And when that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, ‘We will not hide from you, my lord, now that our money is all spent; and the herds of cattle are yours; there is nothing left in the your sight, but our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes, both we and our land? Take possession of us and our land in return for bread, and we and our land will become personal possessions of Pharaoh; and give us seed, so that we will live, and not die, so that the land does not become desolate.’

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; because every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he reduced them to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, because the priests had a definite allowance from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. Hence they did not sell their land.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, ‘I have bought you and you land today for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you, and you must sow the land. 24 At the ingatherings, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed for the field, and for your food, and for those of your households, and for food for your little ones.’ 25 They replied, ‘You have saved our lives; let us find favour in your sight, lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.’ 26 So Joseph made it a law, still in force today, that Pharaoh should have a fifth; only the land of the priests did not come into the possession of Pharaoh.Shorter

27 The Israelites lived in Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they acquired possessions in it and had many children and became exceedingly numerous. 28 Jacob lived for seventeen years in Egypt and died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven.