25These are the descendants of Jacob and Bilhah, whom Laban gave to be the handmaiden of his daughter Rachel. There are seven people in total.

26All of Jacob's direct descendants who came with him to Egypt, not counting his daughter-in-law, were sixty-six except Jacob and Joseph. 27Together with Joseph's sons, the two who were born in Egypt, all the members of Jacob's family who settled in Egypt numbered seventy.

28Jacob sent Judah ahead to Joseph to learn from him beforehand[372] about the land of Goshen and the way to it. And when they all came to the land of Goshen, 29Joseph ordered a chariot to be brought to him and rode out to meet his father Israel. When he saw his father, he immediately fell on his neck and, embracing him, wept for a long time. 30"Now I can die. I saw you, I saw you alive!" said Israel.

31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to the rest of his father's household, "I must go and tell Pharaoh about you, and I will tell him that my brothers and all my father's family have come to me from Canaan, 32 that these people are shepherds of sheep, and it so happens that cattle breeding has been their occupation for a long time. And here they brought cattle and flocks with them, and brought everything they had. 33 And therefore, when Pharaoh calls you and asks you how hard you earn your bread, 34 answer him thus: "We, your servants, all our lives have known only one thing, to feed cattle, and so did our fathers." Tell him this, so that you may remain to live separately in the land of Goshen, with its pastures, for the Egyptians, who live sedentary, are disgusted by any shepherd of sheep who wanders from place to place."

47 And when Joseph came to Pharaoh, he said to him, "My father and my brothers have come from Canaan, they have come with their flocks and herds and all that they have, and now they are in the land of Goshen." 2 (He took only five brothers with him, whom he presented to Pharaoh.)

3 "What is your occupation?" asked Pharaoh to Joseph's brothers. "We, your servants, are shepherds of sheep, like our fathers," they answered Pharaoh. 4 We have come to find a temporary shelter in this land, because there is a great famine in Canaan, and there are no pastures for our cattle there now. We ask you to allow us, your servants, to settle in the land of Goshen."

5Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: "Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6the whole land of Egypt is before you. In the best of all places they dwelt their father and brothers, and let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know intelligent people among them, put them to watch over my flocks as well."

7Joseph then brought his father Jacob to the palace and presented him to Pharaoh. Greeting Pharaoh, Jacob blessed him. 8"How many years have you lived?" asked Pharaoh. 9 "All the years of my pilgrimage[373] are one hundred and thirty," he answered. "Few and difficult were the years of my life – they cannot be compared with the years of wanderings of my forefathers." 10After thanking Pharaoh for his hospitality and wishing him the blessings of the Lord, Jacob left him.

11 At Pharaoh's command, Joseph determined where his father and brothers should live; he gave them land in Egypt, in the best place of the country, in the region of Ramesses. 12 Joseph took care of them, providing bread for his father, and for his brothers, and for all his father's household.

Joseph is a wise ruler

13At last the time came when there was no bread in all the land of Egypt. The hunger was very strong. Both Egypt and Canaan were famine. 14 Joseph gathered up all the silver that was in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan, for the grain that was bought from him; and the proceeds of the sale he contributed to the treasury of Pharaoh. 15When Egypt and Canaan had run out of silver, the Egyptians came to Joseph. "Give us bread," they begged, "or we will die before your eyes, for we have no more money."

16"Bring your cattle here," Joseph answered them, "I will give you bread for your cattle if you run out of money." 17So they brought their cattle to Joseph, and he gave them bread in exchange for horses, flocks, cattle, and donkeys. He provided them that year with bread, for which they gave all their cattle.

18The next year they came again and said: "Our lord, it is no secret to you that we have no more money, and that all our flocks have gone over to you, and we have nothing left to give to our lord except ourselves and our land. 19Why should we die before your eyes, perishing with our lands? Take us and our lands for bread, and we, together with our land, will belong to Pharaoh, we will become his servants. Give us grain to sow so that we may live and not die of hunger, and our land not turn into a desert."

20Thus Joseph acquired all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh: all the Egyptians, fleeing from a terrible famine, sold their fields until all the land became Pharaoh's. 21 And throughout all the land of Egypt Joseph carried the people to the cities[376] where the grain was stored. 22 Only he did not buy up the land of the priests – they received the maintenance assigned to them by Pharaoh, lived off that maintenance, and they did not need to sell their lands.