Genesis 46

Israel set out with all he had and came to Beersheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He said, “Here I am.” He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you up again. Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him. He brought with him to Egypt his sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, all his offspring. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. But Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, along with his daughter Dinah. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three persons in all. The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. She bore these to Jacob, sixteen persons. The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, daughter of Poti-phera, priest of On, bore to him. The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen persons in all. The sons of Dan: Hushim. The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. She bore these to Jacob, seven persons in all. All the persons who came with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his loins, apart from the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all. The sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of Jacob’s house who came to Egypt were seventy. Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to point out the way to Goshen. They came to the land of Goshen. Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. He presented himself to him, fell on his neck, and wept on his neck for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die, since I have seen your face and you are still alive.” Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds, for their work has been raising livestock. They have brought their flocks and herds and all they have.’ When Pharaoh calls you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Rights and attribution