UST GEN chapter 47

47 So Joseph went to King Pharaoh and informed him, “My father and my brothers and their families have come to Egypt from the region of Canaan and are now in Goshen Province. They brought with them their sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else that they own.” 2 Then Joseph brought five of his brothers before Pharaoh and introduced them to him. 3 Then Pharaoh asked them, “What is your occupation?” They answered him, “Your Majesty, we raise sheep for a living, just like our ancestors did.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come here to live for a while in your country. The famine is so severe In the region of Canaan where we come from that there is not enough grass in the fields for our flocks. So then, sir, please let us live in Goshen Province.”

5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to live near you, 6 you may choose any part of the land of Egypt for them to live in. In fact, they may live in the best land in the country, in Goshen Province. And if you know that some of them are especially talented at raising livestock, then put them in charge of raising my livestock also.”

7 Then Joseph took his father Jacob and introduced him to King Pharaoh, and Jacob asked God to bless Pharaoh. 8 Then Pharaoh asked Jacob, “Sir, how old are you now?” 9 Jacob answered him, “I have been living in this world for 130 years. My life has been short, with many hardships. In fact, I have not lived nearly as long as my ancestors did during their time on earth.” 10 Then Jacob again asked God to bless Pharaoh and left him.

11 After that, Joseph did what Pharaoh had told him to do: He helped his father and brothers settle in the country of Egypt. He gave them the choicest property in Egypt, which was in Goshen Province, also known as Rameses Province. 12 Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all the rest of his father’s family with as much food as each family needed to feed all the people in their family.

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.

Jacob Asks His Son Joseph to Bury His Body in the Land of Canaan

47:27-31

27 Now Jacob, whose other name was Israel, was living with his family in Goshen Province in the country of Egypt, and they acquired many possessions there. They had many children and became very numerous. 28 After Jacob had lived in the country of Egypt for seventeen years, he was 147 years old. 29 When it was almost time for him to die, he summoned his son Joseph and urged him, “Please do this favor for me: Put your hand under my leg, and promise me that after I die, you will be kind and faithful to me. Please promise that you will not bury my body here in the country of Egypt. 30 Rather, after I die and join my ancestors who have died, take my body out of Egypt to the region of Canaan and bury it in the same burial place where their bodies are.” Joseph promised him, “I will do what you requested.” 31 But his father insisted, “Vow to me before God that you will do it.” So Joseph vowed that he would do it. Then his father Israel bowed down to worship God beside his bed.

UST GEN Chapter 47