Genesis · American Standard Version (1901)
Genesis 47 American Standard Version (1901)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.”
2 And from among his brethren he took five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
2 From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.
3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.”
4 And they said unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants’ flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
4 They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
5 Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.
6 the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any able men among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
6 The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
7 Joseph brought in Jacob, his father, and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How many are the days of the years of thy life?
8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years: few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. The days of the years of my life have been few and evil. They have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
10 Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
11 Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their families.
12 Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household with bread, according to the sizes of their families.
13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
13 There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
14 Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
15 And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for [our] money faileth.
15 When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For our money fails.”
16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
16 Joseph said, “Give me your livestock; and I will give you food for your livestock, if your money is gone.”
17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year.
17 They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock for that year.
18 And when that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide from my lord, how that our money is all spent; and the herds of cattle are my lord’s; there is nought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
18 When that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord how our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands.
19 wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.
19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be desolate.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them: and the land became Pharaoh’s.
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became Pharaoh’s.
21 And as for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
21 As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end of it.
22 Only the land of the priests bought he not: for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land.
22 Only he didn’t buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. That is why they didn’t sell their land.
23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
24 And it shall come to pass at the ingatherings, that ye shall give a fifth unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
24 It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of the field, for your food, for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.”
25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
25 They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
26 And Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh’s.
26 Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of the priests alone didn’t become Pharaoh’s.
27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they gat them possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
27 Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty and seven years.
28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.
29 And the time drew near that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me: bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt;
29 The time came near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don’t bury me in Egypt,
30 but when I sleep with my fathers, thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying-place. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
30 but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you have said.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Jacob
He wrestled with God through the night and rose as Israel, father of twelve tribes.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25–35; 46–49
Joseph
Betrayed and enslaved, he rose to rule Egypt and saved his family from famine.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 37; 39–50
Cross references (28)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Genesis 45:10; Genesis 46:31; Genesis 46:28; Genesis 45:16; Exodus 9:26
- 2 Acts 7:13; 2 Corinthians 4:14; Jude 24; Colossians 1:28
- 3 Genesis 46:33–34; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Amos 7:14–15; Jonah 1:8; Genesis 4:2
- 4 Genesis 46:34; Deuteronomy 26:5; Genesis 15:13; Genesis 43:1; Acts 7:11
- 6 Exodus 18:21; Genesis 47:11; Proverbs 22:29; 2 Chronicles 26:10; Exodus 18:25
- 7 Genesis 47:10; 2 Samuel 14:22; Exodus 12:32; Luke 22:19; Matthew 26:26
- 9 Job 14:1; Psalm 39:12; Genesis 35:28; Psalm 39:5; Exodus 7:7
- 10 Genesis 47:7; Deuteronomy 33:1; Hebrews 7:7; 2 Samuel 8:10; Genesis 14:19
- 11 Genesis 47:6; Exodus 12:37; Exodus 1:11; John 17:24; John 14:2
- 12 Genesis 45:11; Mark 7:10–13; Exodus 20:12; Genesis 47:1; Ruth 4:15
- 13 Acts 7:11; Jeremiah 9:12; Lamentations 4:9; Genesis 41:30–31; 1 Kings 18:5
- 14 Genesis 41:56; Luke 16:10–12; 1 Peter 4:10; Luke 16:1–2; 1 Corinthians 4:2
- 15 Judges 8:8; Judges 8:5; Matthew 6:11; Psalm 37:3; Genesis 47:18–19
- 16 Philippians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 10:32; Proverbs 12:17; Colossians 4:5; Daniel 6:5–7
- 17 Isaiah 31:1; Job 2:4; Matthew 6:24; 1 Kings 10:28; Exodus 9:3
- 18 Jeremiah 38:9; 2 Kings 6:26
- 19 Nehemiah 5:2–3; Job 2:4; Lamentations 1:11; Lamentations 5:9; Lamentations 5:6
- 21 Genesis 41:48
- 22 Ezra 7:24; Joshua 21:1–45; Nehemiah 13:10; 1 Corinthians 9:13; Genesis 41:50
- 23 Isaiah 55:10; Isaiah 28:24–25; Genesis 45:6; Psalm 112:5; Proverbs 12:11
- 24 Genesis 41:34; Psalm 112:5; Psalm 41:1; Genesis 47:25; 1 Samuel 8:15–17
- 25 Genesis 33:15; Proverbs 11:26–27; Genesis 41:45; Genesis 50:20; Genesis 45:6–8
- 26 Genesis 47:22; Ezekiel 7:24
- 27 Genesis 46:3; Exodus 1:7; Acts 7:17; Psalm 107:38; Psalm 105:24
- 28 Psalm 90:10; Psalm 119:84; Psalm 90:12; Genesis 47:8–9; Genesis 37:2
- 29 Genesis 24:2; Deuteronomy 31:14; Genesis 24:49; 1 Kings 2:1; Genesis 50:24–25
- 30 Genesis 49:29–32; Genesis 25:9; Genesis 23:19; Genesis 50:25; 2 Samuel 19:37
- 31 1 Kings 1:47; Genesis 24:3; Hebrews 11:21; Genesis 47:29; Genesis 24:26
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
Why does my Bible say something different?
- Hebrews 11:21 and Genesis 47:31: Jacob’s staff or Jacob’s bed?
In the Hebrew text of Genesis 47:31 Israel bows “upon the bed’s head.” In the Septuagint he bows “on the top of his staff,” and Hebrews 11:21 quotes the Greek. The Hebrew consonants can be read either way; only the later vowel marks decide. The Orthodox Church reads “staff,” and St John of Damascus used the verse in defending the veneration of holy things.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been," said Jacob, and elsewhere "all the days of my life." Thus under the form of history the law is laid down for what is to follow.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)