Vayigash

44:18 Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 44:19 My lord asked his servants, ‘ Do you have a father or a brother?’ 44:20 And we answered, ‘ We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy ’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’ 44:21 Then you told your servants, ‘ Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’ 44:22 So we said to my lord, ‘ The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’ 44:23 But you said to your servants, ‘ Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 44:24 Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him. 44:25 Then our father said, ‘ Go back and buy us some food.’ 44:26 But we answered, ‘ We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’ 44:27 And your servant my father said to us, ‘ You know that my wife bore me two sons. 44:28 When one of them was gone, I said: “ Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. 44:29 Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ 44:30 So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy ’s life,

44:31 sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 44:32 Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy ’s safety to my father, saying, ‘ If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’ 44:33 Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers. 44:34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.” 45:1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “ Send everyone away from me!” So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 45:2 But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh ’s household soon heard of it. 45:3 Joseph said to his brothers, “ I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence. 45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “ Please come near me.” And they did so. “ I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “ the one you sold into Egypt! 45:5 And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. 45:6 For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 45:7 God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

45:8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh —lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Joseph Sends for His Father 45:9 Now return quickly to my father and tell him, ‘ This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. 45:10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me — you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. 45:11 And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.’ 45:12 Behold! You and my brother Benjamin can see that I, Joseph, am the one speaking with you. 45:13 Tell my father about all my splendor in Egypt and everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.” 45:14 Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced. 45:15 Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him. Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt 45:16 When the news reached Pharaoh ’s house that Joseph ’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 45:17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘ Do as follows: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan. 45:18 Then bring your father and your families and return to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat from the fat of the land.’

45:19 You are also directed to tell them: ‘ Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your young children and your wives, and bring your father and come back. 45:20 But pay no regard to your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’” 45:21 So the sons of Israel did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. 45:22 He gave new garments to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. 45:23 And he sent to his father the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provisions for his father’s journey. 45:24 Then Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “ Do not quarrel on the way!” The Revival of Jacob 45:25 So the brothers went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 45:26 “ Joseph is still alive,” they said, “ and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” But Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them. 45:27 However, when they relayed all that Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob was revived.

45:28 “ Enough!” declared Israel. “ My son Joseph is still alive! I will go to see him before I die.” 46:1 So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 46:2 And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “ Jacob, Jacob!” He said. “ Here I am,” replied Jacob. 46:3 “ I am God,” He said, “ the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 46:4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph ’s own hands will close your eyes.” 46:5 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their children and wives. 46:6 They also took the livestock and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. Those Who Went to Egypt (Exodus 1:1–7) 46:7 Jacob took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and granddaughters — all his offspring. The Children of Leah 46:8 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. 46:9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 46:10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 46:11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 46:12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 46:13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. 46:14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 46:15 These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three. The Children of Zilpah 46:16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 46:17 The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 46:18 These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all. The Children of Rachel 46:19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 46:21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 46:22 These are the sons of Rachel born to Jacob—fourteen in all. The Children of Bilhah 46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 46:24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 46:25 These are the sons of Jacob born to Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel—seven in all. 46:26 All those belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt — his direct descendants, besides the wives of Jacob ’s sons —numbered sixty-six persons. 46:27 And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob ’s family who went to Egypt were seventy in all. Jacob Arrives in Egypt

46:28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob ’s family arrived in the land of Goshen, 46:29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely. 46:30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!” 46:31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “ I will go up and inform Pharaoh: ‘ My brothers and my father’s household from the land of Canaan have come to me. 46:32 The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’ 46:33 When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘ What is your occupation?’ 46:34 you are to say, ‘ Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth — both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.” 47:1 So Joseph went and told Pharaoh: “ My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” 47:2 And he chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. 47:3 “ What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers. “ Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “ both we and our fathers.” 47:4 Then 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 in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.” 47:5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you, 47:6 the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. 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.” 47:7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 47:8 “ How many years have you lived?” Pharaoh asked. 47:9 “ My 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.” 47:10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from his presence.

47:11 So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 47:12 Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for their families. The Famine Continues 47:13 There 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. 47:14 Joseph 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. 47:15 When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “ Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!” 47:16 “ Then bring me your livestock,” said Joseph. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock.” 47:17 So 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. 47:18 When 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. 47:19 Why should we perish before your eyes — we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.” 47:20 So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh ’s, 47:21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other. 47:22 However, 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. 47:23 Then Joseph said to the people, “ Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land. 47:24 At 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.” 47:25 “ You have saved our lives,” they said. “ We have found favor in our lord’s eyes, and we will be Pharaoh ’s servants.” 47:26 So Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests ’ land does not belong to Pharaoh. The Israelites Prosper in Goshen 47:27 Now the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and became fruitful and increased greatly in number.