Genesis 40:12-50:26

Common English Bible

¹² Joseph said to him, “This is the dream’s interpretation: The three branches are three days. ¹³ After three days, Pharaoh will give you an audience and return you to your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just the way things were before when you were his wine steward. ¹⁴ But please, remember me when you are doing well and be loyal to me. Put in a good word for me to Pharaoh, so he sets me free from this prison. ¹⁵ I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here too I’ve done nothing to be thrown into this dungeon.”

¹⁶ When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “It was the same for me. In my dream, there were three baskets of white bread^[a] on my head. ¹⁷ In the basket on top there were baked goods for Pharaoh’s food, but birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

¹⁸ Joseph responded, “This is the dream’s interpretation: The three baskets are three days. ¹⁹ After three days, Pharaoh will give you an audience and will hang you from a tree where birds will peck your flesh from you.”

²⁰ The third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a party for all of his servants. Before all of his servants, he gave an audience to the chief wine steward and the chief baker. ²¹ He returned the chief wine steward to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. ²² But the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had said would happen when he interpreted their dreams for them. ²³ But the chief wine steward didn’t remember Joseph; he forgot all about him.

Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams

41 Two years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing near the Nile. ² In front of him, seven healthy-looking, fattened cows climbed up out of the Nile and grazed on the reeds. ³ Just then, seven other cows, terrible-looking and scrawny, climbed up out of the Nile after them and stood beside them on the bank of the Nile. ⁴ The terrible-looking, scrawny cows devoured the seven healthy-looking, fattened cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. ⁵ He went back to sleep and had a second dream, in which seven ears of grain, full and healthy, grew on a single stalk. ⁶ Just then, seven ears of grain, scrawny and scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them, ⁷ and the scrawny ears swallowed up the full and well-formed ears. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. ⁸ In the morning, he was disturbed and summoned all of Egypt’s religious experts^[b] and all of its advisors. Pharaoh described his dreams^[c] to them, but they couldn’t interpret them for Pharaoh.

⁹ Then the chief wine steward spoke to Pharaoh: “Today I’ve just remembered my mistake. ¹⁰ Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker under arrest with the commander of the royal guard. ¹¹ We both dreamed one night, he and I, and each of our dreams had its own interpretation. ¹² A young Hebrew man, a servant of the commander of the royal guard, was with us. We described our dreams to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us, giving us an interpretation for each dream. ¹³ His interpretations came true exactly: Pharaoh restored me to my position but hanged him.”

¹⁴ So Pharaoh summoned Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed clothes, and appeared before Pharaoh. ¹⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, but no one could interpret it. Then I heard that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.”

¹⁶ Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It’s not me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable response.”

¹⁷ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile. ¹⁸ In front of me, seven fattened, stout cows climbed up out of the Nile and grazed on the reeds. ¹⁹ Just then, seven other cows, weak and frail and thin, climbed up after them. I’ve never seen such awful cows in all the land of Egypt. ²⁰ Then the thin, frail cows devoured the first seven, fattened cows. ²¹ But after they swallowed them whole, no one would have known it. They looked just as bad as they had before. Then I woke up. ²² I went to sleep again^[d] and saw in my dream seven full and healthy ears of grain growing on one stalk. ²³ Just then, seven hard and thin ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them, ²⁴ and the thin ears swallowed up the healthy ears. I told the religious experts,^[e] but they couldn’t explain it to me.”

²⁵ Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh has actually had one dream. God has announced to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁶ The seven healthy cows are seven years, and the seven healthy ears of grain are seven years. It’s actually one dream. ²⁷ The seven thin and frail cows, climbing up after them, are seven years. The seven thin ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, are seven years of famine. ²⁸ It’s just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁹ Seven years of great abundance are now coming throughout the entire land of Egypt. ³⁰ After them, seven years of famine will appear, and all of the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land. ³¹ No one will remember the abundance in the land because the famine that follows will be so very severe. ³² The dream occurred to Pharaoh twice because God has determined to do it, and God will make it happen soon.

Joseph’s rise to power

³³ “Now Pharaoh should find an intelligent, wise man and give him authority over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Then Pharaoh should appoint administrators over the land and take one-fifth of all the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. ³⁵ During the good years that are coming, they should collect all such food and store the grain under Pharaoh’s control, protecting the food in the cities. ³⁶ This food will be reserved for the seven years of famine to follow in the land of Egypt so that the land won’t be ravaged by the famine.”

³⁷ This advice seemed wise to Pharaoh and all his servants, ³⁸ and Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man with more God-given gifts^[f] than this one?” ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, no one is as intelligent and wise as you are. ⁴⁰ You will be in charge of my kingdom,^[g] and all my people will obey^[h] your command. Only as the enthroned king will I be greater than you.” ⁴¹ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Know this: I’ve given you authority over the entire land of Egypt.” ⁴² Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, he dressed him in linen clothes, and he put a gold necklace around his neck. ⁴³ He put Joseph on the chariot of his second-in-command, and everyone in front of him cried out, “Attention!”^[i] So Pharaoh installed him over the entire land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh; no one will do anything or go anywhere in all the land of Egypt without your permission.” ⁴⁵ Pharaoh renamed Joseph, Zaphenath-paneah, and married him to Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of Heliopolis.^[j]

Then Joseph assumed control of the land of Egypt. ⁴⁶ Joseph was 30 years old when he began to serve Pharaoh, Egypt’s king, when he left Pharaoh’s court and traveled through the entire land of Egypt. ⁴⁷ During the seven years of abundance, the land produced plentifully. ⁴⁸ He collected all of the food during the seven years of abundance^[k] in the land of Egypt, and stored the food in cities. In each city, he stored the food from the fields surrounding it. ⁴⁹ Joseph amassed grain like the sand of the sea. There was so much that he stopped trying to measure it because it was beyond measuring. ⁵⁰ Before the years of famine arrived, Asenath the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis,^[l] gave birth to two sons for Joseph. ⁵¹ Joseph named the oldest son Manasseh,^[m] “because,” he said, “God has helped me forget all of my troubles and everyone in my father’s household.” ⁵² He named the second Ephraim,^[n] “because,” he said, “God has given me children in the land where I’ve been treated harshly.”

⁵³ The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴ and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. The famine struck every country, but the entire land of Egypt had bread. ⁵⁵ When the famine ravaged the entire land of Egypt and the people pleaded to Pharaoh for bread, Pharaoh said to all of the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do whatever he tells you.” ⁵⁶ The famine covered every part of the land, and Joseph opened all of the granaries^[o] and sold grain to the Egyptians. In the land of Egypt, the famine became more and more severe. ⁵⁷ Every country came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because in every country the famine had also become more severe.

Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring blankly at each other? ² I’ve just heard that there’s grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we can survive and not starve to death.” ³ So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. ⁴ However, Jacob didn’t send Joseph’s brother Benjamin along with his brothers because he thought something bad might happen to him. ⁵ Israel’s sons came to buy grain with others who also came since the famine had spread to the land of Canaan.

⁶ As for Joseph, he was the land’s governor, and he was the one selling grain to all the land’s people. When Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him, their faces to the ground. ⁷ When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he acted like he didn’t know them. He spoke to them with a harsh tone and said, “Where have you come from?”

And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

⁸ Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him. ⁹ Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies. You’ve come to look for the country’s weaknesses.”

¹⁰ They said to him, “No, Master. Your servants have just come to buy food. ¹¹ We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants aren’t spies.”

¹² He said to them, “No. You’ve come to look for the country’s weaknesses.”

¹³ They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, but one is gone.”

¹⁴ Joseph said to them, “It’s just as I’ve said to you. You are spies! ¹⁵ But here is how to prove yourselves: As Pharaoh lives, you won’t leave here until your youngest brother arrives. ¹⁶ Send one of you to get your brother, but the rest of you will stay in prison. We will find out if your words are true. If not, as Pharaoh lives, you are certainly spies.”

Joseph’s brothers return to Canaan

¹⁷ He put them all in prison for three days. ¹⁸ On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I’m a God-fearing man. ¹⁹ If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay in prison, and the rest of you, go, take grain back to those in your households who are hungry. ²⁰ But bring your youngest brother back to me so that your words will prove true and you won’t die.”

So they prepared to do this. ²¹ The brothers said to each other, “We are clearly guilty for what we did to our brother when we saw his life in danger and when he begged us for mercy, but we didn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this danger now.”

²² Reuben responded to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t do anything wrong to the boy’? But you wouldn’t listen. So now this is payback for his death.” ²³ They didn’t know that Joseph was listening to them because they were using an interpreter. ²⁴ He stepped away from them and wept. When he returned, he spoke with them again. Then he took Simeon from them and tied him up in front of them.

²⁵ Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put back each man’s silver into his own sack, and to give them provisions for their trip, and it was done. ²⁶ They loaded their grain onto their donkeys, and they set out. ²⁷ When they stopped to spend the night, one of them opened his sack to feed his donkey, and he saw his silver at the top of his sack. ²⁸ He said to his brothers, “My silver’s been returned. It’s right here in my sack.” Their hearts stopped. Terrified, they said to each other, “What has God done to us?”

²⁹ When they got back to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him everything that had happened to them: ³⁰ “The man, the country’s governor, spoke to us with a harsh tone and accused us of being spies in the country. ³¹ We told him, ‘We’re honest men, not spies. ³² We are twelve brothers, all our father’s sons. One of us is gone, but the youngest is right now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ ³³ The man, the country’s governor, told us, ‘This is how I will know you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for those in your households who are hungry, and go. ³⁴ But bring back your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will give your brother back to you, and you may travel throughout the country.’”

³⁵ When they opened their sacks, each man found a pouch of his silver in his sack. When they and their father saw their pouches of silver, they were afraid. ³⁶ Their father Jacob said to them, “You’ve taken my children from me. Joseph’s gone. Simeon’s gone. And you are taking Benjamin. All this can’t really be happening to me!”

³⁷ Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I don’t bring him back to you. Make him my responsibility, and I will make sure he returns to you.”

³⁸ But Jacob said to him, “My son won’t go down with you because his brother’s dead and he’s been left all alone. If anything were to happen to him on the trip you are taking, you would send me—old as I am—to my grave in grief.”

Joseph’s brothers return with Benjamin

43 The famine was severe in the land, ² and when they had eaten all the grain that they brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”

³ Judah said to him, “The man was absolutely serious when he said, ‘You may not see me again without your brother with you.’ ⁴ If you agree to send our brother with us, then we will go down and buy you food. ⁵ But if you don’t agree to send him, then we can’t go down because the man said to us, ‘You may not see me again without your brother with you.’”

⁶ Israel said, “Why have you caused me such pain by telling the man you had another brother?”

⁷ They said, “The man asked us pointedly about our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother?’ So we told him just what we’ve said. How were we to know he’d say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”

⁸ Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the young man with me. Let’s get ready to leave so that we can stay alive and not die—we, you, and our children. ⁹ I will guarantee his safety; you can hold me responsible. If I don’t bring him back to you and place him here in front of you, it will be my fault forever. ¹⁰ If we hadn’t waited so long, we would’ve returned twice by now.”

¹¹ Their father Israel said to them, “If it has to be, then do this. Take in your bags some of the land’s choice produce, and bring it down to the man as a gift: a little medicinal resin, a little honey, gum, resin, pistachios, and almonds. ¹² Take twice as much silver with you, and take back the silver returned in the top of your sacks. It might have been a mistake. ¹³ And take your brother, get ready, and go back to the man. ¹⁴ May God Almighty^[p] make the man compassionate toward you so that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin with you. But me, if I’m left childless, then I’m left childless.”

¹⁵ So the men took this gift. They took twice as much silver with them, together with Benjamin. They left, traveled down to Egypt, and received an audience with Joseph. ¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, “Bring the men to the house and slaughter an animal and prepare it because the men will have dinner with me at noon.” ¹⁷ The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

¹⁸ When they were brought to Joseph’s house, the men were frightened and said, “We’ve been brought here because of the silver put back in our sacks on our first trip so he can overpower us, capture us, make slaves of us, and take our donkeys.”

¹⁹ They approached the man who was Joseph’s household manager and spoke to him at the house’s entrance: ²⁰ “Please, Master, we came down the first time just to buy food, ²¹ but when we stopped to spend the night and opened our sacks, there was the exact amount of each man’s silver at the top of his sack. We’ve brought it back with us, ²² and we’ve brought down with us additional silver to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”

²³ He said, “You are fine. Don’t be afraid. Your God and your father’s God must have hidden a treasure in your sacks. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

²⁴ The manager brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet and feed for their donkeys. ²⁵ They prepared the gift, anticipating Joseph’s arrival at noon, since they had heard that they would have a meal there. ²⁶ When Joseph came into the house, they presented him the gift they had brought with them into the house, and they bowed low in front of him. ²⁷ He asked them how they were and said, “How is your elderly father, about whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

²⁸ They said, “Your servant our father is fine. He’s still alive.” And they bowed down again with deep respect.

²⁹ Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, and he said, “Is this your youngest brother whom you told me about? God be gracious to you, my son.” ³⁰ Joseph’s feelings for his brother were so strong he was about to weep, so he rushed to another room and wept there. ³¹ He washed his face, came back, pulled himself together, and said, “Set out the dinner.” ³² So they set out his food by himself, their food by themselves, and the Egyptians’ who ate with him by themselves because Egyptians don’t allow themselves to eat with Hebrews; the Egyptians think it beneath their dignity. ³³ They were seated in front of him from the oldest to the youngest in their exact birth order, and the men looked at each other with amazement. ³⁴ Portions of food from Joseph’s table were brought to them, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as large as theirs. So they drank together and were at ease.

Joseph tests his brothers

44 Joseph gave commands to his household manager: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they’ll hold, and put each man’s silver at the top of his sack. ² Put my cup, the silver cup, on top of the youngest brother’s sack, together with the silver for his grain.” So he did just as Joseph told him to do.

³ At dawn, the men and their donkeys were sent off. ⁴ They had left the city but hadn’t gone far when Joseph said to his household manager, “Get ready, go after the men and catch up with them! Ask them, ‘Why have you repaid hospitality with ingratitude?^{[q] 5} Isn’t this the cup^[r] my master drinks from and uses to discover God’s plans?^[s] What you’ve done is despicable.’”

⁶ When he caught up to them, he repeated these words. ⁷ They replied, “Why does my master talk to us like this? Your servants would never do such a thing. ⁸ The silver that we found at the top of our sacks, we’ve just brought back to you from the land of Canaan. We didn’t steal silver or gold from your master’s house. ⁹ Whoever of your servants is found with it will be put to death, and we’ll be my master’s slaves.”

¹⁰ He said, “Fine. We’ll do just as you’ve said. Whoever is found with it will be my slave, and the rest of you will go free.” ¹¹ Everyone quickly lowered their sacks down to the ground and each opened his sack. ¹² He searched the oldest first and the youngest last, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. ¹³ At this, they tore their clothing. Then everyone loaded their donkeys, and they returned to the city.

¹⁴ When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground in front of him. ¹⁵ Joseph said to them, “What’s this you’ve done? Didn’t you know someone like me can discover God’s plans?”^[t]

¹⁶ Judah replied, “What can we say to my master? What words can we use? How can we prove we are innocent? God has found your servants guilty. We are now your slaves, all of us, including the one found with the cup.”

¹⁷ Joseph said, “I’d never do such a thing. Only the man found with the cup will be my slave. As for the rest of you, you are free to go back to your father.”

Judah appeals for Benjamin

¹⁸ Judah approached him and said, “Please, my master, allow your servant to say something to my master without getting angry with your servant since you are like Pharaoh himself. ¹⁹ My master asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or brother?’ ²⁰ And we said to my master, ‘Yes, we have an elderly father and a young brother, born when he was old. His brother is dead and he’s his mother’s only child. But his father loves him.’ ²¹ You told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him.’ ²² And we said to my master, ‘The young man can’t leave his father. If he leaves, his father will die.’ ²³ You said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother doesn’t come down with you, you’ll never see my face again.’

²⁴ “When we went back to my father your servant, we told him what you said. ²⁵ Our father told us, ‘Go back and buy for us a little food.’ ²⁶ But we said, ‘We can’t go down. We will go down only if our youngest brother is with us. We won’t be able to gain an audience with the man without our youngest brother with us.’ ²⁷ Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave birth to two sons for me. ²⁸ One disappeared and I said, “He must have been torn up by a wild animal,” and I haven’t seen him since. ²⁹ And if you take this one from me too, something terrible will happen to him, and you will send me—old as I am—to my grave in despair.’ ³⁰ When I now go back to your servant my father without the young man—whose life is so bound up with his— ³¹ and when he sees that the young man isn’t with us,^[u] he will die, and your servants will have sent our father your servant—old as he is—to his grave in grief. ³² I, your servant, guaranteed the young man’s safety to my father, telling him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, it will be my fault forever.’ ³³ Now, please let your servant stay as your slave instead of the young man so that he can go back with his brothers. ³⁴ How can I go back to my father without the young man? I couldn’t bear to see how badly my father would be hurt.”

Joseph reveals his identity

45 Joseph could no longer control himself in front of all his attendants, so he declared, “Everyone, leave now!” So no one stayed with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. ² He wept so loudly that the Egyptians and Pharaoh’s household heard him. ³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I’m Joseph! Is my father really still alive?” His brothers couldn’t respond because they were terrified before him.

⁴ Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me,” and they moved closer. He said, “I’m your brother Joseph! The one you sold to Egypt. ⁵ Now, don’t be upset and don’t be angry with yourselves that you sold me here. Actually, God sent me before you to save lives. ⁶ We’ve already had two years of famine in the land, and there are five years left without planting or harvesting. ⁷ God sent me before you to make sure you’d survive^[v] and to rescue your lives in this amazing way. ⁸ You didn’t send me here; it was God who made me a father to Pharaoh, master of his entire household, and ruler of the whole land of Egypt.

⁹ “Hurry! Go back to your father. Tell him this is what your son Joseph says: ‘God has made me master of all of Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t delay. ¹⁰ You may live in the land of Goshen, so you will be near me, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everyone with you. ¹¹ I will support you there, so you, your household, and everyone with you won’t starve, since the famine will still last five years.’ ¹² You and my brother Benjamin have seen with your own eyes that I’m speaking to you. ¹³ Tell my father about my power in Egypt and about everything you’ve seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” ¹⁴ He threw his arms around his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. ¹⁵ He kissed all of his brothers and wept, embracing them. After that, his brothers were finally able to talk to him.

Joseph’s brothers return for Jacob

¹⁶ When Pharaoh’s household heard the message “Joseph’s brothers have arrived,” both Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. ¹⁷ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Give your brothers these instructions: Load your pack animals and go back to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸ Get your father and your households and come back to me. Let me provide you with good things from the land of Egypt so that you may eat the land’s best food. ¹⁹ Give them these instructions too: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your children and wives, and pick up your father and come back. ²⁰ Don’t worry about your possessions because you will have good things from the entire land of Egypt.”

²¹ So Israel’s sons did that. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh instructed, and he gave them provisions for the road. ²² To all of them he gave a change of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. ²³ To his father he sent ten male donkeys carrying goods from Egypt, ten female donkeys carrying grain and bread, and rations for his father for the road. ²⁴ He sent his brothers off; and as they were leaving, he told them, “Don’t be worried about the trip.”^[w]

²⁵ So they left Egypt and returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. ²⁶ They announced to him, “Joseph’s still alive! He’s actually ruler of all the land of Egypt!” Jacob’s heart nearly failed, and he didn’t believe them.

²⁷ When they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, Jacob recovered. ²⁸ Then Israel said, “This is too much! My son Joseph is still alive! Let me go and see him before I die.”

Jacob’s household moves to Egypt

46 Israel packed up everything he owned and traveled to Beer-sheba. There he offered sacrifices to his father Isaac’s God. ² God said to Israel in a vision at night, “Jacob! Jacob!” and he said, “I’m here.” ³ He said, “I am El,^[x] your father’s God. Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt because I will make a great nation of you there. ⁴ I will go down to Egypt with you, and I promise to bring you out again. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.” ⁵ Then Jacob left Beer-sheba. Israel’s sons put their father Jacob, their children, and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. ⁶ They took their livestock and their possessions that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and arrived in Egypt, Jacob and all of his children with him. ⁷ His sons and grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—all of his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

²⁸ Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph so that Joseph could explain the way to Goshen. Then they arrived in the land of Goshen. ²⁹ Joseph hitched up his chariot and went to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he arrived, he threw his arms around his neck and wept, embracing him for a long time. ³⁰ Israel said to Joseph, “I can die now after seeing your face. You are really still alive!”

Jacob’s household settles in Egypt

³¹ Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “Let me go up and inform Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have arrived. ³² The men are shepherds, because they own livestock. They’ve brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ ³³ When Pharaoh summons you and says, ‘What do you do?’ ³⁴ say, ‘Your servants have owned livestock since we were young, both we and our ancestors,’ so that you will be able to settle in the land of Goshen, since Egyptians think all shepherds are beneath their dignity.”

47 Joseph went to inform Pharaoh and said, “My father and brothers with their flocks, herds, and everything they own have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the land of Goshen.” ² From all of his brothers, he selected five men and presented them before Pharaoh.

³ Pharaoh said to Joseph’s brothers, “What do you do?”

They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our ancestors.” ⁴ They continued, “We’ve come to the land as immigrants because the famine is so severe in the land of Canaan that there are no more pastures for your servants’ flocks. Please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.”

⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since your father and brothers have arrived, ⁶ the land of Egypt is available to you. Settle your father and brothers in the land’s best location. Let them live in the land of Goshen. And if you know capable men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

⁷ Joseph brought his father Jacob and gave him an audience with Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh, ⁸ and Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

⁹ Jacob said to Pharaoh, “I’ve been a traveler for 130 years. My years have been few and difficult. They don’t come close to the years my ancestors lived during their travels.” ¹⁰ Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left Pharaoh’s presence. ¹¹ Joseph settled his father and brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt, in the best location in the land of Rameses, just as Pharaoh had ordered. ¹² Joseph provided food for his father, his brothers, and his father’s entire household, in proportion to the number of children.

Joseph centralizes power in Egypt

¹³ There was no food in the land because the famine was so severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan dried up from the famine. ¹⁴ Joseph collected all of the silver to be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain, which people came to buy, and he deposited it in Pharaoh’s treasury. ¹⁵ The silver from the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan had been spent, and all of the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes, just because the silver is gone?”

¹⁶ Joseph said, “Give me your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock if the silver is gone.” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food for the horses, flocks, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year with food in exchange for all of their livestock.

¹⁸ When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We can’t hide from my master that the silver is spent and that we’ve given the livestock to my master. All that’s left for my master is our corpses and our farmland. ¹⁹ Why should we die before your eyes, we and our farmland too? Buy us and our farms for food, and we and our farms will be under Pharaoh’s control. Give us seed so that we can stay alive and not die, and so that our farmland won’t become unproductive.” ²⁰ So Joseph bought all of Egypt’s farmland for Pharaoh because every Egyptian sold his field when the famine worsened. So the land became Pharaoh’s. ²¹ He moved the people to the cities^[aa] from one end of Egypt to the other. ²² However, he didn’t buy the farmland of the priests because Pharaoh allowed the priests a subsidy, and they were able to eat from the subsidy Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they didn’t have to sell their farmland.

²³ Joseph said to the people, “Since I’ve now purchased you and your farmland for Pharaoh, here’s seed for you. Plant the seed on the land. ²⁴ When the crop comes in, you must give one-fifth to Pharaoh. You may keep four-fifths for yourselves, for planting fields, and for feeding yourselves, those in your households, and your children.”

²⁵ The people said, “You’ve saved our lives. If you wish, we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” ²⁶ So Joseph made a law that still exists today: Pharaoh receives one-fifth from Egypt’s farmland. Only the priests’ farmland didn’t become Pharaoh’s.

Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

²⁷ Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. They settled in it, had many children, and became numerous. ²⁸ After Jacob had lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years, and after he had lived a total of 147 years, ²⁹ Israel’s death approached. He summoned his son Joseph and said to him, “If you would be so kind, lay your hand under my thigh, and be loyal and true to me. Don’t bury me in Egypt. ³⁰ When I lie down with my fathers, carry me from Egypt and bury me in their grave.”

Joseph said, “I will do just as you say.”

³¹ Israel said, “Give me your word!” and Joseph gave his word. Then Israel slumped down at the head of the bed.

48 After this happened, Joseph was told,^[ab] “Your father is getting weaker,” so he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. ² When Jacob was informed,^[ac] “Your son Joseph is here now,” he^[ad] pulled himself together and sat up in bed. ³ Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty^[ae] appeared to me in Luz in the land of Canaan. He blessed me ⁴ and said to me, ‘I am about to give you many children, to increase your numbers, and to make you a large group of peoples. I will give this land to your descendants following you as an enduring possession.’ ⁵ Now, your two sons born to you in the land of Egypt before I arrived in Egypt are my own. Ephraim and Manasseh are just like Reuben and Simeon to me. ⁶ Your family who is born to you after them are yours, but their inheritance will be determined under their brothers’ names. ⁷ When I came back from Paddan-aram,^[af] Rachel died, to my sorrow, on the road in the land of Canaan, with some distance yet to go to Ephrathah, so I buried her there near the road to Ephrathah,^[ag] which is Bethlehem.”

⁸ When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?”

⁹ Joseph told his father, “They’re my sons, whom God gave me here.”

Israel said, “Bring them to me and I will bless them.” ¹⁰ Because Israel’s eyesight had failed from old age and he wasn’t able to see, Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed and embraced them.

¹¹ Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t expect I’d see your face, but now God has shown me your children too.” ¹² Then Joseph took them from Israel’s knees, and he bowed low with his face to the ground. ¹³ Joseph took both of them, Ephraim in his right hand at Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand at Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. ¹⁴ But Israel put out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, the younger one, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands because Manasseh was the oldest son. ¹⁵ He blessed them^[ah] and said,

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was upset and grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ Joseph said to his father, “No, my father! This is the oldest son. Put your right hand on his head.”

¹⁹ But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He’ll become a people too, and he’ll also be great. But his younger brother will be greater than he will, and his descendants will become many nations.” ²⁰ Israel blessed them that day, saying,

So Israel put Ephraim before Manasseh. ²¹ Then Israel said to Joseph, “I’m about to die. God will be with you and return you to the land of your fathers. ²² I’m giving you one portion more than to your brothers,^[ai] a portion that I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Jacob reveals his sons’ destinies

49 Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the coming days.

²⁸ These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them. He blessed them by giving each man his own particular blessing.

Jacob’s death and burial

²⁹ Jacob ordered them, “I am soon to join my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave that’s in the field of Ephron the Hittite; ³⁰ in the cave that’s in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in the land of Canaan that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial property. ³¹ That is where Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and where Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and where I buried Leah. ³² It is the field and the cave in it that belonged to the Hittites.” ³³ After he finished giving orders to his sons, he put his feet up on the bed, took his last breath, and joined his people.

50 Joseph fell across his father’s body, wept over him, and kissed him. ² Joseph then ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel. ³ They mourned for him forty days because that is the period required for embalming. Then the Egyptians mourned him for seventy days. ⁴ After the period of mourning had passed, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s household: “If you approve my request, give Pharaoh this message: ⁵ My father made me promise, telling me, ‘I’m about to die. You must bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now, let me leave and let me bury my father, and then I will return.”

⁶ Pharaoh replied, “Go, bury your father as you promised.”

⁷ So Joseph left to bury his father. All of Pharaoh’s servants went with him, together with the elder statesmen in his household and all of the elder statesmen in the land of Egypt, ⁸ Joseph’s entire household, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only the children, flocks, and cattle remained in the land of Goshen. ⁹ Even chariots and horsemen went with him; it was a huge collection of people. ¹⁰ When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad on the other side of the Jordan River, they observed a solemn, deeply sorrowful period of mourning. He grieved seven days for his father.

¹¹ When the Canaanites who lived in the land saw the observance of grief on Atad’s threshing floor, they said, “This is a solemn observance of grief by the Egyptians.” Therefore, its name is Abel-mizraim.^[aw] It is on the other side of the Jordan River. ¹² Israel’s sons did for him just as he had ordered. ¹³ His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as burial property from Ephron the Hittite. ¹⁴ Then^[ax] Joseph returned to Egypt, he, his brothers, and everyone who left with him to bury his father.

Joseph and his brothers in Egypt

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father was now dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us, and wants to pay us back seriously for all of the terrible things we did to him?” ¹⁶ So they approached^[ay] Joseph and said, “Your father gave orders before he died, telling us, ¹⁷ ‘This is what you should say to Joseph. “Please, forgive your brothers’ sins and misdeeds, for they did terrible things to you. Now, please forgive the sins of the servants of your father’s God.”’” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

¹⁸ His brothers wept^[az] too, fell down in front of him, and said, “We’re here as your slaves.”

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I God? ²⁰ You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today. ²¹ Now, don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” So he put them at ease and spoke reassuringly to them.

²² Thus Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household. Joseph lived 110 years ²³ and saw Ephraim’s grandchildren. The children of Machir, Manasseh’s son, were also born on Joseph’s knees. ²⁴ Joseph said to his brothers, “I’m about to die. God will certainly take care of you and bring you out of this land to the land he promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” ²⁵ Joseph made Israel’s sons promise, “When God takes care of you, you must bring up my bones out of here.” ²⁶ Joseph died when he was 110 years old. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.