Joseph and the Famine

Genesis 47

13 Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. 14 i And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that 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 to Joseph and said, "Give us food. j Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone." 16 And Joseph answered, "Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone." 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18 And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? k Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate."

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's. 21 As for the people, he made servants of them 1 from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 l Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, "Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a m fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones." 25 And they said, "You have saved our lives; n may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh." 26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; o the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's.

27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, p in the land of Goshen. q And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. r So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

29 And s when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If now t I have found favor in your sight, u put your hand under my thigh and v promise to deal kindly and truly with me. w Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and x bury me in their burying place." He answered, "I will do as you have said." 31 And he said, "Swear to me"; and he swore to him. Then y Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed. 2

  1. Cross References
    Genesis 41:56
    So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 47:19
    Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.
  3. Cross References
    Nehemiah 5:2 - 3
    For there were those who said, "With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.
  4. Cross References
    Ezra 7:24
    We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 41:34
    Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years.
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 33:15
    So Esau said, "Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 47:22
    Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.
  8. Cross References
    Genesis 45:10
    You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 46:3
    Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 47:9
    And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 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 sojourning.
  11. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 31:14
    And the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him." And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
    1 Kings 2:1
    When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying.
  12. Cross References
    Genesis 33:15
    So Esau said, "Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 24:2
    And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh.
  14. Cross References
    Genesis 24:49
    Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 50:25
    Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.
  16. Cross References
    Genesis 49:29
    Then he commanded them and said to them, "I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
    Genesis 50:5
    My father made me swear, saying, 'I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.' Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.
    Genesis 50:13
    For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place.
  17. Cross References
    Genesis 48:2
    And it was told to Jacob, "Your son Joseph has come to you." Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.
    1 Kings 1:47
    Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king bowed himself on the bed.
    Hebrews 11:21
    By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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