New King James Version (NKJV)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

1 WhenJacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”

2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we maylive and not die.”

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

4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said,“Lest some calamity befall him.”

5 And the sons of Israel went to buygrainamong those who journeyed, for the famine wasin the land of Canaan.

6 Now Josephwasgovernorover the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came andbowed down before him withtheirfaces to the earth.

7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted asa stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?”

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

8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

9 Then Josephremembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “Youarespies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”

10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

11 Weareall one man’s sons; wearehonestmen;your servants are not spies.”

12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

13 And they said, “Your servantsaretwelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngestiswith our father today, and oneisno more.”

14 But Joseph said to them, “Itisas I spoke to you, saying, ‘Youarespies!’

15 In thismanneryou 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, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whetherthereisany truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely youarespies!”

17 So he put them all together in prisonthree days.

18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live,forI fear God:

19 If youarehonestmen,let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses.

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

And they did so.

21 Then they said to one another,“Wearetruly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear;therefore this distress has come upon us.”

22 And Reuben answered them, saying,“Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is nowrequired of us.”

23 But they did not know that Joseph understoodthem,for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself away from them andwept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he tookSimeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

The Brothers Return to Canaan

25 Then Josephgave a command to fill their sacks with grain, torestore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey.Thus he did for them.

26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there.

27 But asoneofthemopened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack.

28 So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts failedthemand they were afraid, saying to one another, “WhatisthisthatGod has done to us?”

29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying:

30 “The manwhoislord of the landspoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 But we said to him, ‘Wearehonestmen;we are not spies.

32 Wearetwelve brothers, sons of our father; oneisnomore,and the youngestiswith our father this day in the land of Canaan.’

33 Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us,‘By this I will know that youarehonestmen:Leave one of your brothersherewith me, takefoodforthe famine of your households, and be gone.

34 And bring youryoungest brother to me; so I shall know that youarenot spies, butthatyouarehonestmen.I will grant your brother to you, and you maytrade in the land.’ ”

35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisinglyeach man’s bundle of moneywasin his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You havebereaved me: Joseph is nomore,Simeon is nomore,and you want to takeBenjamin. All these things are against me.”

37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring himbackto you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, forhis brother is dead, and he is left alone.If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you wouldbring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”

Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin

1 Now the faminewassevere in the land.

2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Goback, buy us a little food.”

3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless yourbrotheriswith you.’

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

5 But if you will not sendhim,we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brotheriswith you.’ ”

6 And Israel said, “Why did you dealsowrongfully with measto tell the man whether you had stillanotherbrother?”

7 But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Isyour father still alive? Have youanotherbrother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we maylive and not die, both we and youandalso our little ones.

9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him.If I do not bring himbackto you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

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

11 And their father Israel said to them, “Ifitmustbeso, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels andcarry down a present for the man—a littlebalm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the moneythat was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.

13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man.

14 And may GodAlmightygive you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin.If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”

15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and wentdown to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph.

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to thesteward of his house, “Takethesemen to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; forthesemen will dine with me at noon.”

17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

18 Now the men wereafraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “Itisbecause of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”

19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house,

20 and said, “O sir,we indeed came down the first time to buy food;

21 butit happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there,eachman’s moneywasin the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand.

22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

23 But he said, “Peacebewith you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he broughtSimeon out to them.

24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house andgavethemwater, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.

25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.

26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present whichwasin their hand into the house, andbowed down before him to the earth.

27 Then he asked them abouttheirwell-being, and said, “Isyour father well, the old manof whom you spoke?Ishe still alive?”

28 And they answered, “Your servant our fatherisin good health; heisstill alive.”And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.

29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin,his mother’s son, and said, “Isthis your younger brotherof whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”

30 Nowhis heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and soughtsomewhereto weep. And he went intohischamber andwept there.

31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve thebread.”

32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with theHebrews, for thatisan abomination to the Egyptians.

33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to hisbirthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another.

34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving wasfive times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

Joseph’s Cup

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

2 Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

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

4 When they had gone out of the city,andwere notyetfar off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have yourepaid evil for good?

5 Isnot thistheonefrom which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”

6 So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing.

8 Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaanthe money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?

9 With whomever of your servants it is found,let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

10 And he said, “Now alsoletitbeaccording to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.”

11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.

12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13 Then theytore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and hewasstill there; and theyfell before him on the ground.

15 And Joseph said to them, “What deedisthis you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”

16 Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God hasfound out the iniquity of your servants; herewe are, my lord’s slaves, both we andhealso with whom the cup was found.”

17 But he said,“Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Judah Intercedes for Benjamin

18 Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, anddo not let your anger burn against your servant; for youareeven like Pharaoh.

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

20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, anda child ofhisold age,whoisyoung; his brother isdead, and healone is left of his mother’s children, and hisfather loves him.’

21 Then you said to your servants,‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

22 And we said to my lord,‘The lad cannot leave his father, forifhe should leave his father,hisfatherwould die.’

23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

24 “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.

25 Andour father said, ‘Go backandbuy us a little food.’

26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brotheriswith us.’

27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know thatmy wife bore me two sons;

28 and the one went out from me, and I said,“Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since.

29 But if youtake this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

30 “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the ladisnot with us, sincehis life is bound up in the lad’s life,

31 it will happen, when he sees that the ladisnotwithus,that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying,‘If I do not bring himbackto you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’

33 Now therefore, pleaselet your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.

34 For how shall I go up to my father if the ladisnot with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”

Joseph Revealed to His Brothers

1 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with himwhile Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

2 And hewept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heardit.

3 Then Joseph said to his brothers,“IamJoseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.

4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “IamJoseph your brother,whom you sold into Egypt.

5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here;for God sent me before you to preserve life.

6 For these two years thefaminehasbeenin the land, andtherearestill five years in whichtherewillbeneither plowing nor harvesting.

7 And Godsent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

8 So nowitwasnot youwhosent me here, butGod; and He has made mea father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and aruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry.

10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.

11 There I willprovide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; fortherearestill five years of famine.” ’

12 “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see thatitismy mouth that speaks to you.

13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry andbring my father down here.”

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

15 Moreover hekissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.

16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.

17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan.

18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eatthe fat of the land.

19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come.

20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egyptisyours.’ ”

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

22 He gave to all of them, to each man,changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundredpiecesof silver andfive changes of garments.

23 And he sent to his father thesethings:ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey.

24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”

25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father.

26 And they told him, saying, “Josephisstill alive, and heisgovernor over all the land of Egypt.”And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them.

27 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spiritof Jacob their father revived.

28 Then Israel said, “Itisenough. Joseph my sonisstill alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Jacob’s Journey to Egypt

 

1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came toBeersheba, and offered sacrificesto the God of his father Isaac.

2 Then God spoke to Israelin the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

3 So He said, “IamGod,the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I willmake of you a great nation there.

4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surelybring you upagain;andJoseph will put his hand on your eyes.”

5 ThenJacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the cartswhich Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

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

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

8 Nowthesewerethe names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt:ReubenwasJacob’s firstborn.

9 Thesons of ReubenwereHanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

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

11 The sons ofLeviwereGershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12 The sons ofJudahwereEr, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan).The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13 The sons of IssacharwereTola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron.

14 Thesons of ZebulunwereSered, Elon, and Jahleel.

15 Thesewerethesons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters,werethirty-three.

16 The sons of GadwereZiphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17 The sons of AsherwereJimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of BeriahwereHeber and Malchiel.

18 Thesewerethe sons of Zilpah,whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.

19 Thesons of Rachel,Jacob’s wife,wereJoseph and Benjamin.

20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him.

21 The sons of BenjaminwereBelah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman,Ehi, Rosh,Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22 Thesewerethe sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.

23 The son of DanwasHushim.

24 The sons of NaphtaliwereJahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

25 Thesewerethe sons of Bilhah,whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.

26 All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body,besides Jacob’s sons’ wives,weresixty-six persons in all.

27 And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egyptweretwo persons.All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.

Jacob Settles in Goshen

 

28 Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph,to point out before himthewayto Goshen. And they cameto the land of Goshen.

29 So Joseph made ready hischariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, andfell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.

30 And Israel said to Joseph,“Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because youarestill alive.”

31 Then 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 those of my father’s house, whowerein the land of Canaan, have come to me.

32 And the menareshepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’

33 So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says,‘What is youroccupation?’

34 that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestockfrom our youth even till now, both weandalso our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherdisan abomination to the Egyptians.”

1 Then Josephwent and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed theyareinthe land of Goshen.”

2 And he took five men from among his brothers andpresented them to Pharaoh.

3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers,“Whatisyour occupation?”

# And they said to Pharaoh,“Your servantsareshepherds, both weandalso our fathers.”

4 And they said to Pharaoh,“We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks,for the famineissevere in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servantsdwell 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 Egyptisbefore you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwellin the land of Goshen. And if you knowanycompetent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacobblessed Pharaoh.

8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How oldareyou?”

9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh,“The days of the years of my pilgrimageareone hundred and thirty years;few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, andthey have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”

10 So Jacobblessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

11 And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land ofRameses,as Pharaoh had commanded.

12 Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and allhis father’s household with bread, according to the number intheirfamilies.

Joseph Deals with the Famine

 

13 Nowtherewasno bread in all the land; for the faminewasvery severe,so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.

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

15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, forwhy should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.”

16 Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give youbreadfor your livestock, if the money is gone.”

17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them breadinexchangefor the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with breadinexchangefor all their livestock that year.

18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; 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 for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; giveusseed, that we maylive and not die, that the land may not be desolate.”

20 Then Josephbought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s.

21 And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, fromoneend of the borders of Egypt to theotherend.

22 Only the land of thepriests he did not buy; for the priests had rationsallottedtothemby Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look,hereisseed for you, and you shall sow the land.

24 And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”

25 So they said, “You have savedour 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 to this day,thatPharaoh should have one-fifth,except for the land of the priests only,whichdid not become Pharaoh’s.

Joseph’s Vow to Jacob

 

27 So Israeldwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there andgrew and multiplied exceedingly.

28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.

29 When the timedrew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, pleaseput your hand under my thigh, anddeal kindly and truly with me.Please do not bury me in Egypt,

30 butlet me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt andbury me in their burial place.”

And he said, “I will do as you have said.”

31 Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. SoIsrael bowed himself on the head of the bed.

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons

 

1 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your fatherissick”; and he took with him his two sons,Manasseh and Ephraim.

2 And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.

3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: “GodAlmighty appeared to me atLuz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I willmake you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, andgive this land to your descendants after youasan everlasting possession.’

5 And now yourtwo sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt,aremine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

6 Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

7 But as for me, when I came from Padan,Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, whentherewasbut a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8 Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Whoarethese?”

9 And Joseph said to his father, “Theyaremy sons, whom God has given me in thisplace.”

# And he said, “Please bring them to me, andI will bless them.”

10 Nowthe eyes of Israel were dim with age,sothathe could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and hekissed them and embraced them.

11 And Israel said to Joseph,“I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”

12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth.

13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and broughtthemnear him.

14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand andlaiditon Ephraim’s head, whowasthe younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head,guiding his hands knowingly, for Manassehwasthefirstborn.

15 Andhe blessed Joseph, and said:

# “God,before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,

16 The Angelwho has redeemed me from all evil,

Bless the lads;

# Letmy name be named upon them,

And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

# And let themgrow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 Now when Joseph saw that his fatherlaid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.

18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for thisoneisthe firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

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

20 So he blessed them that day, saying,“By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, butGod will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

22 MoreoverI have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the handof the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons

 

1 And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I maytell you what shall befall youin the last days:

2 “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob,

And listen to Israel your father.

3 “Reuben, you aremy firstborn,

My might and the beginning of my strength,

The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.

4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel,

# Because youwent up to your father’s bed;

Then you defiledit—

He went up to my couch.

5 “Simeon and Leviarebrothers;

Instruments of crueltyareintheir dwelling place.

6 Let not my soul enter their council;

# Let not my honor be unitedto their assembly;

# For in their anger they slew a man,

And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.

7 Cursedbetheir anger, foritisfierce;

And their wrath, for it is cruel!

# I will divide them in Jacob

And scatter them in Israel.

8 “Judah,youarehewhom your brothers shall praise;

# Your handshallbeon the neck of your enemies;

# Your father’s children shall bow down before you.

9 Judahisa lion’s whelp;

From the prey, my son, you have gone up.

# He bows down, he lies down as a lion;

And as a lion, who shall rouse him?

10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

# Nora lawgiver from between his feet,

# Until Shiloh comes;

# And to Himshallbethe obedience of the people.

11 Binding his donkey to the vine,

And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,

He washed his garments in wine,

And his clothes in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyesaredarker than wine,

And his teeth whiter than milk.

13 “Zebulunshall dwell by the haven of the sea;

Heshallbecomea haven for ships,

# And his border shalladjoin Sidon.

14 “Issacharis a strong donkey,

Lying down between two burdens;

15 He saw that restwasgood,

And that the landwaspleasant;

# He bowedhis shoulder to bearaburden,

And became a band of slaves.

16 “Danshall judge his people

As one of the tribes of Israel.

17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way,

A viper by the path,

That bites the horse’s heels

So that its rider shall fall backward.

18 I have waited for your salvation, OLord!

19 “Gad,a troop shall tramp upon him,

But he shall triumph at last.

20 “Bread fromAshershallberich,

And he shall yield royal dainties.

21 “Naphtaliisa deer let loose;

He uses beautiful words.

22 “Josephisa fruitful bough,

A fruitful bough by a well;

His branches run over the wall.

23 The archers havebitterly grieved him,

Shotathimand hated him.

24 But hisbow remained in strength,

And the arms of his hands were made strong

# By the hands ofthe MightyGodof Jacob

# (From thereisthe Shepherd,the Stone of Israel),

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

# And by the Almightywho will bless you

Withblessings of heaven above,

Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,

Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26 The blessings of your father

Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,

# Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.

# They shall be on the head of Joseph,

And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is aravenous wolf;

In the morning he shall devour the prey,

# And at night he shall divide the spoil.”

28 All thesearethe twelve tribes of Israel, and thisiswhat their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.

Jacob’s Death and Burial

 

29 Then he charged them and said to them: “Iam to be gathered to my people;bury me with my fathersin the cave thatisin the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30 in the cave thatisin the field of Machpelah, whichisbefore Mamre in the land of Canaan,which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place.

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 thatistherewerepurchased from the sons of Heth.”

33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

1 Then Josephfell on his father’s face, andwept over him, and kissed him.

2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians toembalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.

3 Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptiansmourned for him seventy days.

4 Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke tothe household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying,

5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my gravewhich I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’ ”

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

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen.

9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.

10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, whichisbeyond the Jordan, and theymourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation.He observed seven days of mourning for his father.

11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “Thisisa deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, whichisbeyond the Jordan.

12 So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them.

13 Forhis sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abrahambought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place.

14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

 

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead,they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.”

16 So they sentmessengersto Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying,

17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin;for they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants ofthe God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18 Then his brothers also went andfell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, weareyour servants.”

19 Joseph said to them,“Do not be afraid,foramI in the place of God?

20 But as for you, you meant evil against me;butGod meant it for good, in order to bring it about asitisthis day, to save many people alive.

21 Now therefore, do not be afraid;I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Death of Joseph

 

22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.

23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s childrento the thirdgeneration.The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh,were also brought up on Joseph’s knees.

24 And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; butGod will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the landof which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

25 ThenJoseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, andyou shall carry up mybones from here.”

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