Genesis 46

¹So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ²And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said.

“Here I am,” replied Jacob.

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. ⁴I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”

⁵Then 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. ⁶They also took the livestock and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt.

⁷Jacob took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and granddaughters — all his offspring.

• ⁸Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

• ⁹The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

• ¹⁰The sons of Simeon: Jemuel,^{+46:10 Jemuel is another name for Nemuel; see Numbers 26:12.} Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar,^{+46:10 Zohar is a variant of Zerah; see Numbers 26:13 and 1 Chronicles 4:24.} and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

• ¹¹The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

• ¹²The 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.

• ¹³The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah,^{+46:13 Hebrew; SP and Syriac Puah; see 1 Chronicles 7:1.} Job,^{+46:13 Hebrew; SP and some LXX manuscripts Jashub; see Numbers 26:24 and 1 Chronicles 7:1.} and Shimron.

• ¹⁴The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

• ¹⁵These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram,^{+46:15 That is, northwest Mesopotamia} in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three.

• ¹⁶The sons of Gad: Ziphion,^{+46:16 SP and LXX Zephon; see also Numbers 26:15.} Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi,^{+46:16 Arodi is a variant of Arod; see Numbers 26:17.} and Areli.

• ¹⁷The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.

• The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.

• ¹⁸These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah — whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah — sixteen in all.

• ¹⁹The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

• ²⁰Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.^{+46:20 That is, Heliopolis, as in LXX}

• ²¹The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

• ²²These are the sons of Rachel born to Jacob — fourteen in all.

• ²³The son of Dan: Hushim.

• ²⁴The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

• ²⁵These are the sons of Jacob born to Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel — seven in all.

²⁶All those belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt— his direct descendants, besides the wives of Jacob’s sons— numbered sixty-six persons. ²⁷And with the two sons^{+46:27 Hebrew; LXX the nine sons, probably including Joseph’s grandsons through Ephraim and Manasseh; see 1 Chronicles 7:14–29.} who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt were seventy^{+46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5); LXX (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five} in all.

²⁸Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen, ²⁹Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely.

³⁰Then Israel said to Joseph, “Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!”

³¹Joseph 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. ³²The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’

³³When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ ³⁴you 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.”