the Fourth Week of Advent
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Hebrew Names Version
Genesis 47
1 Then Yosef went in and told Par`oh, and said, "My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of Kana`an; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen." 2 From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Par`oh. 3 Par`oh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" They said to Par`oh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers." 4 They said to Par`oh, "We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Kana`an. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen." 5 Par`oh spoke to Yosef, saying, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Mitzrayim 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 cattle." 7 Yosef brought in Ya`akov, his father, and set him before Par`oh, and Ya`akov blessed Par`oh. 8 Par`oh said to Ya`akov, "How many are the days of the years of your life?" 9 Ya`akov said to Par`oh, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." 10 Ya`akov blessed Par`oh, and went out from the presence of Par`oh. 11 Yosef placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Mitzrayim, in the best of the land, in the land of Ra`meses, as Par`oh had commanded. 12 Yosef nourished his father, his brothers, and all of his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
13 There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Mitzrayim and the land of Kana`an fainted by reason of the famine. 14 Yosef gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Mitzrayim, and in the land of Kana`an, for the grain which they bought: and Yosef brought the money into Par`oh's house. 15 When the money was all spent in the land of Mitzrayim, and in the land of Kana`an, all the Mitzrim came to Yosef, and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For our money fails." 16 Yosef said, "Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fails." 17 They brought their cattle to Yosef, and Yosef 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 cattle for that year. 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 cattle are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands. 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 Par`oh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won't be desolate." 20 So Yosef bought all the land of Mitzrayim for Par`oh, for the Mitzrim sold every man his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became Par`oh's. 21 As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Mitzrayim even to the other end of it. 22 Only he didn't buy the land of the Kohanim, for the Kohanim had a portion from Par`oh, and ate their portion which Par`oh gave them. That is why they didn't sell their land. 23 Then Yosef said to the people, "Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Par`oh. Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Par`oh, 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 They said, "You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Par`oh's servants." 26 Yosef made it a statute concerning the land of Mitzrayim to this day, that Par`oh should have the fifth. Only the land of the Kohanim alone didn't become Par`oh's.
27 Yisra'el lived in the land of Mitzrayim, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly. 28 Ya`akov lived in the land of Mitzrayim seventeen years. So the days of Ya`akov, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years. 29 The time drew near that Yisra'el must die, and he called his son Yosef, 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 Mitzrayim, 30 but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Mitzrayim, and bury me in their burying place." He said, "I will do as you have said." 31 He said, "Swear to me," and he swore to him. Yisra'el bowed himself on the bed's head.
