Jacob Goes to Egypt

46 So ·Israel [^CJacob’s other name; 32:28] took all he had and ·started his trip [departed]. He went to Beersheba [21:14], where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ² During the night God spoke to Israel in a vision and said, “Jacob, Jacob.”

And Jacob answered, “Here I am.”

³ Then God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt, because I will make ·your descendants [^Lyou] a great nation there [12:1–3]. ⁴ I will go to Egypt with you, and I will bring you ·out of Egypt [^Lup] again. Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes when you die.”

⁵ Then Jacob left Beersheba. The sons of Israel loaded their father, their ·children [little ones], and their wives in the wagons ·the king of Egypt [^LPharaoh] had sent. ⁶ They also took their farm animals and everything they had gotten in Canaan. So Jacob went to Egypt with all his ·descendants [^Lseed]— ⁷ his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters. He took all his ·family [^Lseed] to Egypt with him.

Jacob’s Family

⁸ Now these are the names of the ·children [sons] of Israel who went into Egypt (Jacob and his descendants).

Reuben was Jacob’s ·first son [^Lfirstborn]. ⁹ Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

¹⁰ Simeon’s sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul (Simeon’s son by a Canaanite woman).

¹¹ Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

¹² Judah’s sons were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan [38:1–11]). Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul.

¹³ Issachar’s sons were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.

¹⁴ Zebulun’s sons were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

¹⁵ These are the sons of Leah and Jacob born in ·northwestern Mesopotamia [^LPaddan-aram], in addition to his daughter Dinah [34:1]. There were thirty-three persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

¹⁶ Gad’s sons were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

¹⁷ Asher’s sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and their sister was Serah. Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malkiel.

¹⁸ These are Jacob’s sons by Zilpah, the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah [29:24]. There were sixteen persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

¹⁹ The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁰ In Egypt, Joseph became the father of Manasseh and Ephraim by his wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On [41:45].

²¹ Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

²² These are the sons of Jacob by his wife Rachel. There were fourteen persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

²³ Dan’s son was Hushim.

²⁴ Naphtali’s sons were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

²⁵ These are Jacob’s sons by Bilhah, the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel [29:29]. There were seven persons in this part of Jacob’s family.

²⁶ So the total number of ·Jacob’s direct descendants [^Lthose who came from the thigh/loins of Jacob] who went to Egypt was sixty-six, not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons. ²⁷ Joseph had two sons born in Egypt, so the total number in the family of Jacob in Egypt was seventy.

Jacob Arrives in Egypt

²⁸ Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to ·see [or lead the way to] Joseph in Goshen [45:10]. When Jacob and his people came into the land of Goshen, ²⁹ Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw his father, he ·hugged him [^Lfell on his neck], and cried there for a long time.

³⁰ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, because I have seen your face and I know you are still alive.”

³¹ Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s ·family [household], “I will go and tell ·the king [^LPharaoh] you are here. I will say, ‘My brothers and my father’s ·family [household] have left the land of Canaan and have come here to me. ³² They are shepherds and take care of ·farm animals [livestock], and they have brought their flocks and their herds and everything they own with them.’ ³³ When ·the king [^LPharaoh] calls you, he will ask, ‘What work do you do?’ ³⁴ This is what you should tell him: ‘We, your servants, have taken care of ·farm animals [livestock] all our lives. Our ·ancestors [fathers] did the same thing.’ Then ·the king [^Lhe] will allow you to settle in the land of Goshen, ·away from the Egyptians, because they don’t like to be near shepherds [^Lfor all shepherds of flocks are an abomination to the Egyptians].”