Chapter 47
1So Joseph went and told Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers have come from the land of Canaan with their flocks and herds and all they own and are now in Goshen.”
2And he chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.
3Pharaoh asked [Joseph’s] brothers, “What is your occupation?” “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.”
4Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a time because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants since the famine has been severe in the land of Canaan. So now please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.”
5Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you,
6the land of Egypt is before you; in the best part of the land settle your father and brothers. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
7Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8“How many years have you lived?” Pharaoh asked.
9My travels [have lasted] 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”
10Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from [his] presence.
11So Joseph settled his father and brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses as Pharaoh had commanded.
12Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for [their] families.
13There was no food, however, in all that region because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine.
14Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying and he brought [it] into Pharaoh’s palace.
15When the money was gone from the lands of Egypt and Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”
16“Then bring me your livestock,” Joseph said. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock.”
17So they brought their livestock to Joseph and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their flocks and herds and their donkeys. Throughout that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all our livestock belongs to [you]. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.
19Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we will be slaves along with our land to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die and that the land may not become desolate.”
20So Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine upon them was so severe. The land became Pharaoh’s
21and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other.
22However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied so they did not sell their land.
23Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land this day for Pharaoh, here is seed for you to sow in the land.
24At harvest time, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and food for yourselves and your households and children.”
25“You have saved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor in our lord’s eyes and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
26So Joseph established a law and it is in effect to this day in the land of Egypt that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.
27Now the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and became fruitful in number and increased greatly.
28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years and the length of his life was 147 years.
29When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt
30but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.” Joseph answered, “I will do as you have requested.”
31Jacob said, “Swear to me.” So Joseph swore to him and Israel bowed [in worship] at the head of his bed.