Genesis 47

47 ¹Joseph came and told Pharaoh, "My father and my brothers, with their flocks, herds, and all they own, have come from Canaan. They are now in Goshen." ²From among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. ³Pharaoh asked Joseph's brothers, "What is your work?" They told Pharaoh, "Your servants tend sheep, we and our fathers alike."

⁴They said to Pharaoh, "We came to live in this land as foreigners, since there's no pasture for your servants' flocks—the famine is severe in Canaan. Now please let your servants settle in Goshen."

⁵Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. ⁶Egypt lies before you. Settle your father and brothers in the best of the land—let them live in Goshen. If you know capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."

⁷Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him to Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. ⁸Pharaoh asked Jacob, "How many years have you lived?"

⁹Jacob answered Pharaoh, "My years as a wanderer are 130. Few and hard, they haven't reached my fathers' years of wandering." ¹⁰Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

¹¹So Joseph settled his father and brothers, giving them land in Egypt's best territory, the region of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. ¹²Joseph fed his father, his brothers, and all his father's household, by the number of their children.

The Famine Deepens

¹³No food remained in all the land, for the famine was very severe, and the land of Egypt and land of Canaan wasted from the famine. ¹⁴Joseph gathered all the silver found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan for the grain they were buying, and Joseph brought the silver into Pharaoh's house. ¹⁵When the silver ran out in the land of Egypt and land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, saying, "Give us food! Why should we die before you? Since silver is gone."

¹⁶Joseph answered, "Turn over your livestock; I'll give you food in exchange for your livestock, since your silver's gone." ¹⁷They brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them bread for the horses, flocks, herds, and donkeys. He provided them bread that year for all their livestock. ¹⁸That year ended, and they came to him the second year and said, "We can't hide from my lord that our silver is gone and the livestock belong to my lord; nothing is left for my lord but our bodies and our land. ¹⁹Why die before your eyes—we and our land? Buy us and our land for food; we and our land will serve Pharaoh. Give us seed to live, not die, and keep the land from turning desolate."

²⁰So Joseph bought all Egypt's land for Pharaoh, because each Egyptian sold his field—the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's. ²¹He moved the people into the cities, from one end of Egypt to the other. ²²Only he did not buy the priests' land, since Pharaoh gave them a fixed portion they lived on; so they did not sell their land. ²³Joseph told the people, "Look, I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh today. Here's seed—sow the land. ²⁴At harvest, give Pharaoh a fifth; keep four parts as seed for the field and food for you, your households, and your children."

²⁵They said, "You saved our lives. May we find favor in my lord's eyes, and we will be Pharaoh's slaves." ²⁶So Joseph made it law in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth goes to Pharaoh. Only the priests' land did not become Pharaoh's.

²⁷Israel lived in Egypt's land, in Goshen's land. They gained property there, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. ²⁸Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years; his life totaled 147 years. ²⁹When Israel's time to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said, "If I have found favor with you, please put your hand under my thigh and show me faithful love and loyalty. Please don't bury me in Egypt, ^a a v29 Placing a hand under someone's thigh was an ancient solemn oath gesture, binding the promise on one's descendants. ³⁰but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their tomb." Joseph said, "I will do as you say."

³¹Jacob said, "Swear to me." Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed at the head of his bed.