Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

1 So Joseph ^qwent in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in ^rthe land of Goshen.” 2 And from among his brothers he took five men and ^spresented them to Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, ^t“What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, ^u“Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” 4 They said to Pharaoh, ^v“We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell ^win the land of Goshen.” 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers ^xin the best of the land. ^yLet them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any ^zable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

7 Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, ^aand Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my ^bsojourning are 130 years. ^cFew and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and ^dthey have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their ^bsojourning.” 10 And Jacob ^eblessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of ^fRameses, ^gas Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph ^hprovided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

Joseph and the Famine

13 Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. 14 ⁱAnd Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. ^jWhy should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.”

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a ^mfifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; ⁿmay it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; ^othe land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.

27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, ^pin the land of Goshen. ^qAnd they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. ^rSo the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

29 And ^swhen the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now ^tI have found favor in your sight, ^uput your hand under my thigh and ^vpromise to deal kindly and truly with me. ^wDo not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and ^xbury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” 31 And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then ^yIsrael bowed himself upon the head of his bed.¹