Genesis  ◦   Chapter 46

1So Israel gathered his entire household – all that he had – and set out for Egypt. When he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

2That night God spoke to Israel in a vision, saying, “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

3Then God said, “I am the Creator God, the Promise-keeping God of your father. You don’t need to fear going down to Egypt, for there I will shelter your family from the pagan nations and make your descendants into a great nation. 4I will be with you and watch over your family while in Egypt, and I will bring them back again. And you will surely see Joseph with your own eyes.”

5Then Jacob left Beersheba, and his sons took him to Egypt. They carried him, their wives and their children in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent. 6Jacob and his family also took their livestock and the possessions they acquired while in Canaan, and they all went to Egypt. 7Jacob took his entire family to Egypt: his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and granddaughters – all his descendants.

8These are the names of Jacob’s descendants (the sons of Israel) who went to Egypt. Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn.

9Reuben had four sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

10Simeon had six sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul who was the son of a Canaanite woman.

11Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

12Judah had five sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in Canaan).

Judah’s son Perez had two sons: Hezron and Hamul.

13Issachar had four sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.

14Zebulun had three sons: Sered, Elon and Jahleel.

15These six sons were born to Jacob by Leah in Paddan Aram, along with his daughter Dinah. His descendants (children and grandchildren) with Leah were thirty-three in all.

16Gad had seven sons: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.

17Asher had four sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah, and their sister was Serah.

Asher’s son Beriah had two sons: Heber and Malkiel.

18These were the sixteen descendants born to Jacob by the surrogate Zilpah (whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah).

19Jacob had two sons with his wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

20Joseph had two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim, who were born to him while in Egypt, by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

21Benjamin had ten sons: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

22These were fourteen sons and grandsons born to Jacob by Rachel.

23Dan had one son, Hushim.

24Naphtali had four sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.

25These were the seven sons and grandsons born to Jacob by the surrogate Bilhah (whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel).

26Jacob’s family that went with him to Egypt, which included his direct descendants (sons and unmarried daughters), not counting his sons’ wives, numbered sixty-six persons. 27With Joseph’s two sons born in Egypt, along with Joseph and Jacob himself, the total number of his family in Egypt was seventy in all.

28Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to meet Joseph and get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in Goshen, 29Joseph had his chariot prepared and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph saw his father, he threw his arms around him and held him close, rejoicing and weeping, for a long time.

30Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die in peace, for I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”

31Joseph then told his brothers and the rest of his father’s household, “I will go and inform Pharaoh that you are here. I will tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s entire household, who were living in Canaan, have come to me. 32The men are shepherds and tend livestock; and they have brought here with them all their flocks and herds, and all they possess.’ 33When Pharaoh meets with you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34you must answer, ‘We, your humble servants, have tended livestock our entire lives, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be given land in Goshen, where you can live and grow, away from the Egyptians and their pagan practices – because the Egyptians find livestock foul-smelling and repulsive.”