How Joseph Ruled Egypt During the Rest of the Famine

47:13-26

13 Now there was no bread in all the earth, because the famine was very heavy, and the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan were languishing because of the famine. 14 And Joseph collected all the silver that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they were buying, and Joseph brought the silver to the house of Pharaoh. 15 So the silver was consumed from the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan, and all Egypt came to Joseph, saying, “Give us bread! And why should we die before you? For the silver is gone!” 16 And Joseph said, “Bring your livestock and I will give grain to you in exchange for your livestock, since the silver is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave bread to them in exchange for the horses and for the herds of sheep and for the herds of cattle and for the donkeys. So he provided them with bread in that year in exchange for all their livestock.

18 And when that year had ended, then they came to him in the second year and said to him, “We cannot hide it from my lord that since the silver is consumed and the herds of livestock belong to my lord, there is nothing left before my lord except our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for the bread, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we will live and not die, and the land will not be desolate!”

20 Then Joseph bought all the farmland of Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was heavy for them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 And as for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt to its other end. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, because there was an allotment for the priests from Pharaoh, and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave to them. For that reason they did not sell their land.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you so that you can sow the ground. 24 And it will happen in the harvests that you must give a fifth to Pharaoh, and the four parts will be for you as seed of the field and as your food and for those in your houses and for your little ones to eat.” 25 And they said, “You have kept us alive! Let us find favor in the eyes of my lord, and we will be slaves for Pharaoh.” 26 And Joseph established it as a law to this day concerning the farmland of Egypt, that the fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests by itself did not become Pharaoh’s.