Amplified Bible (AMP)

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

1 Now when Jacob (Israel) learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another [in bewilderment and not taking action]?”

2 He said, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy [some] grain for us, so that we may live and not die [of starvation].”

3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s [younger] brother, with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that some harmorinjury may come to him.”

5 So the sons of Israel came [to Egypt] to buy grain along with the others who were coming, for famine was in the land of Canaanalso.

6 Now Joseph was the ruler over the land, and he was the one who sold [grain] to all the people of the land; and Joseph’s [half] brothers came and bowed down before him withtheirfaces to the ground.

7 When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but [hiding his identity] he treated them as strangers andspoke harshly to them. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

8 Joseph recognized his brothers, butthey did not recognize him.

9 Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come [with a malicious purpose] to observe theundefended parts of our land.”

10 But they said to him, “No, my lord, for your servants have [only] come to buy food.

11 We are all the sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.”

12 Yet he said to them, “No, you have come to see the undefended parts of our land.”

13 But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers [in all], the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; please listen: the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.”

14 Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies.

15 In this way you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here!

16 Send one of you [back home], and let him bring your brother [here], while [the rest of] you remain confined, so that your words may be tested, [to see] whether there is any truth in you [and your story]; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, certainly you are spies.”

17 Then Joseph put them all in prison for three days.

18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and [you may] live, for I fear God:

19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your [place here in] prison; but as forthe rest ofyou, go, carry grain for the famine in your households,

20 but bring your youngest brother to me, so your words will be verified and you will not die.” And they did so.

21 And they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty regarding our brother [Joseph], because we saw the distressandanguish of his soul when he pleaded with us [to let him go], yet we would not listen [to his cry]; so this distressandanguish has come on us.”

22 Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now the accounting for his blood is required [of us for we are guilty of his death].”

23 They did not know that Joseph understood [their conversation], because he spoke to them through an interpreter.

24 He turned away from his brothers and [left the room and] wept; then he returned and talked with them, and took Simeon from them and bound him in front of them [to be kept as a hostage in Egypt].

25 Then Joseph gave orders [privately] that their bags be filled with grain, and that every man’s money [used to pay for the grain] be put back in his sack, and that provisions be given to them for the journey. And so this was done for them.

26 They loaded their donkeys with grain and left from there.

27 And at the lodging place, as oneof themopened his sack to feed his donkey, he saw his money in the opening of his sack.

28 And he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! Here it is in my sack!” And their hearts sank, and they were afraidandturned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

The Return to Canaan

29 When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them, saying,

30 “The man who is the lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and took us for spies of the land.

31 But we told him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

32 ~‘We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’

33 And the man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘By this [test] I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers here with me and takegrain foryour starving households and go.

34 ~‘Bring your youngest brother to me; then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. Then I will return your [imprisoned] brother [back] to you, and you may tradeanddo business in the land.’”

35 Now when they emptied their sacks, every man’s bundle of money [paid to buy grain] was in his sack. When they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me [by causing the loss] of my children. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin [from me]. All these things are [working] against me.”

37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring Benjamin back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

38 But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down [to Egypt] with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left [of Rachel’s children]. If any harmoraccident should happen to him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in sorrow.”

The Return to Egypt

1 Now the famine was very severe in the land [of Canaan].

2 And it happened that when the families of Jacob’s sons had finished eating [all of] the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.”

3 But Judah said to him, “The man [representing Pharaoh] solemnlyandsternly warned us, saying, ‘You will not see my face [again] unless your brother is with you.’

4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down [to Egypt] and buy you food.

5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down there; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

6 And Israel (Jacob) said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man that you hadanotherbrother?”

7 And they said, “The man asked us straightforward questions about ourselves and our relatives. He said, ‘Is your father still alive? Have youanotherbrother?’ And weanswered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down [here to Egypt]’?”

8 Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the young man with me and we will get up and go [buy food], so that we may live and not die [of starvation], we as well as you and our little ones.

9 I will be security (a guarantee) for him;you may hold me [personally] responsible for him. If I do not bring him [back] to you and place him [safely] before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.

10 For if we had not delayed like this, surely by now we would have returned the second time.”

11 Then their father Israel said to them, “Ifit must beso, then do this; take some of the choicest products of the land in your sacks, and carry it as a present [of tribute] to the man [representing Pharaoh], a little balm and a little honey, aromatic spicesorgum, resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

12 Take double the [amount of] money with you, and take back the money that was returned in the opening of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.

13 Take your brother [Benjamin] also, and get up, and go to the man;

14 and mayGod Almighty grant you compassionandfavor before the man, so that he will release to you your other brother [Simeon] and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children [Joseph, Simeon, and Benjamin], I am bereaved.”

15 Then the men took the present, and they took double the [amount of] money with them, and Benjamin; then they left and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Joseph Sees Benjamin

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and kill an animal and make [a meal] ready; for the men will dine with me at noon.”

17 So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

18 The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and [expecting the worst] they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time [we came] that we are being brought in, so that he may find a reason to accuse us and assail us, and take us as slaves, andseizeour donkeys.”

19 So they approached the steward of Joseph’s house, and talked with him at the entrance of the house,

20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down here the first time to buy food;

21 and when we arrived at the inn [after leaving here], we opened our sacks and there was each man’s money [with which he had paid for grain], in full, returned in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back [this time].

22 We have also brought down with us additional money to buy food; we do not know who put our money [back] in our sacks [last time].”

23 But the steward [encouraged them and] said, “Peace be to you, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father has [miraculously] given you treasure in your sacks. I [already] had your money [which you paid to us].” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24 Then the steward brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed [the dust off] their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.

25 So they prepared the present [of tribute] for Joseph before his arrival at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.

26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present [of tribute] which they had with them and bowed to the ground before him.

27 He asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed down [their heads before Joseph] in respect.

29 And he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s [only other] son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And Joseph said, “God be gracious to youandshow you favor, my son.”

30 Then Joseph hurried out [of the room] because his heart was deeply touched over his brother, and he soughtprivacyto weep; so he entered his chamber and wept there.

31 Then he washed his face and came out, and, restraining himself, said, “Let the meal be served.”

32 So the servants served Joseph by himself [in honor of his rank], and his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because [according to custom] the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that isloathsome to the Egyptians.

33 Now Joseph’s brothers were seated [by the steward] before him [in the order of their birth]–the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in astonishment [because so much was known about them].

34 Joseph selectedandsent portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freelyandcelebrated with him.

The Brothers Are Brought Back

1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s [grain] money in the mouth of the sack.

2 Put my [personal] cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his grain money.” And the steward did as Joseph had told him.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

4 When they had left the city, and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil [to us] for good [paid to you]?

5 ~‘Is this not my lord’s drinking cup and the one which he uses for divination? You have done [a great and unforgivable] wrong in doing this.’”

6 So the steward overtook them and he said these words to them.

7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak these things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

8 Please remember, the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Is it likely then that we would steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

9 With whomever of your servants your master’s cup is found, let him die, and the rest of us will be my lord’s slaves.”

10 And the steward said, “Now let it be as you say; he with whom the cup is found will be my slave, butthe rest ofyou shall be blameless.”

11 Then every man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and each man opened his sack [confident the cup would not be found among them].

12 The steward searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13 Then they tore their clothes [in grief]; and after each man had loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city.

14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there; and they fell to the ground before him.

15 Joseph spoke harshly to them, “What is this thing that you have done? Do you not realize that such a man as I can indeed practice divinationandforetell [everything you do without outside knowledge of it]?”

16 So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we reply? Or how can we clear ourselves, since God has exposed the sinandguilt of your servants? Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, the rest of us as well as he with whom the cup is found.”

17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me that I should do that; but the man in whose hand the cup has been found, he will be my servant; and as for [the rest of] you, get up and go in peace to your father.”

18 Then Judah approached him, and said, “O my lord, please let your servant say a word to you in private, and do not let your anger blaze against your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh [so I speak as if directly to him].

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’

20 We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a young [brother, Benjamin, the] child of his old age. Now his brother [Joseph] is dead, and he alone is left of [the two sons born of] his mother, and his father loves him.’

21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may actually see him.’

22 But we said to my lord, ‘Theyoung man cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you shall not see my face again.’

24 So when we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

25 Our father said, ‘Go back [to Egypt], and buy us a little food.’

26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down [to Egypt]. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down [there]; for we [were sternly told that we] cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27 Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] bore me [only] two sons.

28 ~‘And one [son] went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him since.

29 ~‘If you take this one also from me, and harmoran accident happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’

30 Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the young man is not with us, sincehis life is bound up in the young man’s life,

31 when he sees that the young man is notwith us,he will die; and your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in [great] sorrow.

32 For your servant became security for the young man to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’

33 Now, therefore, please let your servant (Judah) remain here instead of the youth [to be] a slave to my lord, and let the young man go home with his brothers.

34 How can I go up to my father if the young man is not with me–for fear that I would see the tragedy that would overtake my [elderly] father [if Benjamin does not return]?”

Joseph Shows Kindness to His Brothers

1 Then Joseph could not control himself [any longer] in front of all those who attended him, and he called out, “Have everyone leave me.” So no man stood there when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers.

2 Joseph wept aloud, and the Egyptians [who had just left him] heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it.

3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless, for they were stunnedanddismayed by [the fact that they were in] Joseph’s presence.

4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they approached him. And he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

5 Now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to save lifeandpreserve our family.

6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five more years in which there will be no plowing and harvesting.

7 God sent me [to Egypt] ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to keep you alive by a great escape.

8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

9 Hurry and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says this to you: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.

10 You shall live in the land of Goshen [the best pasture land of Egypt], and you shall be close to me–you and your children and your grandchildren, your flocks and your herds and all you have.

11 There I will provide for youandsustain you, so that you and your household and all that are yours may not become impoverished, for there are still five years of famineto come.”’

12 Look! Your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that I am speaking to you [personally in your language and not through an interpreter].

13 Now you must tell my father of all my splendorandpower in Egypt, and of everything that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.”

14 Then he embraced his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.

15 He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

16 When the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants.

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: load your animals and return to the land of Canaan [without delay],

18 and get your father and your households and come to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat (the finest produce) of the land.’

19 Now you [brothers of Joseph] are ordered [by Pharaoh], ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come.

20 ~‘Do not be concerned with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey.

22 To each of them Joseph gave changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundredpieces ofsilver and five changes of clothing.

23 To his father he sent the following: tenmaledonkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father [to supply all who were with him] on the journey.

24 So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “See that you do not quarrel on the journey [about how to explain this to our father].”

25 So they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father,

26 and they said to him, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But Jacob was stunnedandhis heart almost stopped beating, because he did not believe them.

27 When they told him everything that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

28 And Israel (Jacob) said, “It is enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Jacob Moves to Egypt

1 So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba [where both his father and grandfather had worshiped God], and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.”

3 And He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you (your descendants) a great nation there.

4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you (your people) up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes [to close them at the time of your death].”

5 So Jacob set out from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

6 And they took their livestock and the possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him.

7 His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

Those Who Came to Egypt

8 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah–but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13 The sons of Issachar: Tola,Puvah,Job, and Shimron.

14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; all of his sons and daughtersnumberedthirty-three.

16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.

18 These are the sons of Zilpah, [the maid] whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter [when she married Jacob]; and she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons [two sons and fourteen grandchildren].

19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

20 Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On (Heliopolis in Egypt), bore to him.

21 And the sons ofBenjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; [there were] fourteen persons in all [two sons and twelve grandchildren].

23 The son of Dan: Hushim.

24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

25 These are the sons of Bilhah, [the maid] whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter [when she married Jacob]. And she bore these to Jacob; [there were] seven persons in all [two sons and five grandchildren].

26 All the persons who came with Jacob into Egypt–who were his direct descendants, not counting the wives of [Jacob or] Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all,

27 and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob [including Jacob, andJoseph and his sons], who came into Egypt, were seventy.

28 Now Jacob (Israel) sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph, to direct him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

29 Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen; as soon as he presented himself before him (authenticating his identity), he fell on his [father’s] neck and wept on his neck a [very] long time.

30 And Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die [in peace], since I have seen your face [and know] that you are still alive.”

31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me;

32 and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’

33 And it shall be that when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers [before us],’ in order that you may live [separately and securely] in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is repulsive to the Egyptians.”

Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and their herds and all that they own, have come from the land of Canaan, and they are in the land of Goshen.”

2 He took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.

3 And Pharaoh said to his brothers [as Joseph expected], “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers [before us].”

4 Moreover, they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live temporarily (sojourn) in the land [of Egypt], for there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants [in our land], for the famine is very severe in Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”

5 Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.

6 The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know of any men of ability among them,put them in charge of my livestock.”

7 Then Joseph brought Jacob (Israel) his father and presented him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

8 And Pharaoh asked Jacob,“How old are you?”

9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “Theyears of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. Few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, and they havenot reached the years that my fathers lived during the days of their pilgrimage.”

10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and departed from his presence.

11 So Joseph settled his father and brothers and gave them a possession in Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses (Goshen), as Pharaoh commanded.

12 Joseph providedandsupplied his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to [the needs of] their children.

13 Now [in the course of time] there was no food in all the land, for the famine was distressingly severe, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan languished [in destitution and starvation] because of the famine.

14 Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan [in payment] for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.

15 And when the money was exhausted in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die before your very eyes? For our money is gone.”

16 Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, since the money is gone.”

17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year.

18 When that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord [the fact] that our money is spent; my lord also has our herds of livestock; there is nothing left in the sight of my lord but 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 food, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed [to plant], that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

Result of the Famine

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every Egyptian sold his field because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s.

21 And as for the people, he relocated them [temporarily] to cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.

22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived on the amount which Pharaoh gave them, so they did not sell their land.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you shall plant the land.

24 At harvest time [when you reap the increase] you shall give one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be your own to use for seed for the field and as food for you and those of your households and for your little ones.”

25 And they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”

26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt–valid to thisday–that Pharaoh should have the fifth part [of the crops]; only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.

27 Now [the people of] Israel lived in the country of Egypt, in [the land of] Goshen, and they gained possessionsandacquired property there and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.

28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so thelength of Jacob’s life was a hundred and forty-seven years.

29 And when the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight,please put your hand under my thigh and [promise to] deal loyally and faithfully with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt,

30 but when I lie down with my fathers [in death], you will carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place [at Hebron in the cave of Machpelah].” And Joseph said, “I will do as you have directed.”

31 Then he said, “Swear to me [that you will do it].” So he swore to him. Then Israel (Jacob) bowedin worshipat the head of the bed.

Israel’s Last Days

1 Now some time after these things happened, Joseph was told, “Your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him [to go to Goshen].

2 And when Jacob (Israel) was told, “Look now, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.

3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a great company of people, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’

5 Now your two sons [Ephraim and Manasseh], who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine;Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine [that is, adopted as my heirs and sons as surely], as Reuben and Simeon aremy sons.

6 But other sons who were born to you after them shall be your own; they shall be called by the names of their [two] brothers in their inheritance.

7 Now as for me, when I came from Paddan [in Mesopotamia], Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8 When Israel [who was almost blind] saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?”

9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here [in Egypt].” So he said, “Please bring them to me, so that I may bless them.”

10 Now Israel’s eyes were so dim from age that he could not see [clearly]. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed and embraced them.

11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, but see, God has shown me your children as well.”

12 Then Joseph took the boys [from his father’s embrace], and he bowed [before him] with his face to the ground.

13 Then Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

14 But Israel reached out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head,crossing his hands [intentionally], even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 Then Jacob (Israel) blessed Joseph, and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked [in faithful obedience],

The God who has been my Shepherd [leading and caring for me] all my life to this day,

16 TheAngel [that is, the LordHimself] who has redeemed me [continually] from all evil,

Bless the boys;

And may my name live on in them [may they be worthy of having their names linked with mine],

And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

And may they grow into a [great] multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him [because he was not the firstborn]; and he grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.

18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; place your right hand on Manasseh’s head.”

19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; Manasseh also will become a people and he will be great; but his younger brother shall begreater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

20 Then Jacob blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce a blessing, saying,

‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

And he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to [Canaan] the land of your fathers.

22 Moreover, I have given you [thebirthright,] one portion [Shechem, one mountain ridge] more than any of your brothers, which I took [reclaiming it] from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

Israel’s Prophecy concerning His Sons

1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves [around me] that I may tell you what will happen to youandyour descendantsin the days to come.

2 “Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob;

And listen to Israel (Jacob) your father.

3 “Reuben, you are myfirstborn;

My might, the beginning of my strengthandvigor,

Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power [that should have been your birthright].

4 “But unstableandrecklessandboiling over like water [in sinful lust], you shallnot excelorhave the preeminence [of the firstborn],

Because you went up to your father’s bed [with Bilhah];

You defiled it–he went up to my couch.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers [equally headstrong, deceitful, vindictive, and cruel];

Their swords are weapons of violenceandrevenge.

6 “O my soul, do not come into their secret council;

Let not my glory (honor) be united with their assembly [for I knew nothing of their plot];

Because in their anger they killed men [an honored man, Shechem, and the Shechemites],

And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

7 “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;

And their wrath, for it was cruel.

I will divideanddisperse them in Jacob,

Andscatter them in [the midst of the land of] Israel.

8 “Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise;

Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;

Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

9 “Judah, a lion’s cub;

With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain].

He stooped down, he crouched like a lion,

And like a lion–who dares rouse him?

10 “The scepter [of royalty] shall not depart from Judah,

Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

Until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes,

And to Himshall bethe obedience of the peoples.

11 “Tyinghis foal to the [strong] vine

And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,

He washes his clothing in wine [because the grapevine produces abundantly],

And his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 “His eyes are darkerandsparkle more than wine,

And his teeth whiter than milk.

13 “Zebulun shall dwell at the seashore;

And he shall be a haven (landing place) for ships,

And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14 “Issachar is [like] a strong-boned donkey,

Crouching down between the sheepfolds.

15 “When he saw that the resting place was good

And that the land was pleasant,

He bowed his shoulder to bear [burdens],

And became a servant at forced labor.

16 “Dan shall judge his people,

As one of the tribes of Israel.

17 “Dan shall be a [venomous] serpent in the way,

A fanged snake in the path,

That bites the horse’s heels,

So that his rider falls backward.

18 “I wait for Your salvation, O Lord.

19 “As forGad–a raiding troop shall raid him,

But he shall raid at their heelsandassault them [victoriously].

20 “Asher’s food [supply] shall be richandbountiful,

And he shall yieldanddeliver royal delights.

21 “Naphtali is a doe let loose, [a swift warrior,]

Which yields branched antlers (eloquent words).

22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough (a main branch of the vine),

A fruitful bough by a spring (a well, a fountain);

Its branches run over the wall [influencing others].

23 “The [skilled] archers have bitterly attackedandprovoked him;

They have shot [at him] and harassed him.

24 “But his bow remained firmandsteady [in the Strength that does not fail],

For his arms were made strongandagile

By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,

(By the name of the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

25 By the God of your father who will help you,

And by theAlmighty who blesses you

With blessings of the heavens above,

Blessings lying in the deep that couches beneath,

Blessings of the [nursing] breasts and of the [fertile] womb.

26 “The blessings of your father

Are greater than the blessings of my ancestors [Abraham and Isaac]

Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills;

They shall be on the head of Joseph,

Even on the crown of the head of him who was the distinguished oneandthe one who is prince among (separate from) his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is aravenous wolf;

In the morning he devours the prey,

And at night he divides the spoil.”

28 All these are the [beginnings of the] twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one according to the blessing appropriate to him.

29 He charged them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30 in the cave in the field at Machpelah, east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, that Abraham bought, along with the field from Ephron the Hittite, to possess as a burial site.

31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah–

32 the field and the cave that is in it was purchased from the sons of Heth.”

33 When Jacob (Israel) had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and wasgathered to his people [who had preceded him in death].

Burial Preparations and Mourning for Jacob

1 Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him [tenderly].

2 Then Joseph ordered his servants the physicians to embalm (mummify) his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel (Jacob).

3 Now forty days were required for this, for that is the customary number of days [of preparation] required for embalming. And the Egyptians weptandgrieved for him [in public mourning as they would for royalty] for seventy days.

4 When the days of weepingandpublic mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to [the nobles of] the house of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying,

5 ‘My father made me swear [an oath], saying, “Hear me, I am about to die; bury me in my tomb which I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.” So now let me go up [to Canaan], please, and bury my father; then I will return.’”

6 And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

7 So Joseph went up [to Canaan] to bury his father, and with him went all the officials of Pharaoh, [the nobles of his court and] the elders of his household and all [the nobles and] the elders of the land of Egypt–

8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household. They left only their little ones and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen.

9 Both chariots and horsemen also went up [to Canaan] with Joseph; and it was a very great company.

10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they mourned there with a great lamentation (expressions of mourning for the deceased) and [extreme demonstrations of] sorrow [according to Egyptian custom]; and Joseph observed a seven-day mourning for his father.

11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim (mourning of Egypt); it is west of the Jordan.

Burial at Machpelah

12 So Jacob’s sons did for him as he had commanded them;

13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him.

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph carries a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him?”

16 So they sentwordto Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded us before he died, saying,

17 ‘You are to say to Joseph, “I beg you, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ Now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18 Then his brothers went and fell down before him [in confession]; then they said, “Behold, we are your servants (slaves).”

19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? [Vengeance is His, not mine.]

20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present outcome, that many people would be kept alive [as they are this day].

21 So now, do not be afraid; I will provide for youandsupport you and your little ones.” So he comforted them [giving them encouragement and hope] and spoke [with kindness] to their hearts.

Death of Joseph

22 Now Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.

23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children; also the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were bornandraised on Joseph’s knees.

24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up out of this land to the land which He promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob [to give you].”

25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel (Jacob) swear [an oath], saying, “God will surely visit youandtake care of you [returning you to Canaan], and [when that happens] you shall carry my bones up from here.”

26 So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him and he was putin a coffin in Egypt.