Jacob’s Journey to Egypt
1. So Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and there he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2. That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said. And Jacob replied, “Here I am.”
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.
4. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”
5. So Jacob set out from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, along with their little ones and their wives, in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him.
6. They also took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Thus Jacob and all his descendants went to Egypt.
Those Who Went to Egypt
7. He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.
8. These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
9. The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
11. The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12. The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah—but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
13. The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.
14. The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15. These are the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, along with his daughter Dinah. The total number of persons: thirty-three.
16. The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17. The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.
18. These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah, and she bore to Jacob sixteen persons.
19. The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin.
20. In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
21. The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22. These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen in all.
23. The son of Dan: Hushim.
24. The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25. These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore to Jacob seven persons in all.
26. All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt, not including the wives of Jacob’s sons, numbered sixty-six persons in all.
27. Joseph’s sons, who were born to him in Egypt, numbered two. All the persons of the household of Jacob who came to Egypt amounted to seventy.
Jacob Arrives in Egypt
28. Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph, to accompany him to Goshen. And when they arrived in the land of Goshen,
29. Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he embraced him and wept for a long time.
30. “Now I can die,” said Israel. “I have seen your face, and you are still alive.”
31. Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
32. The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought with them their flocks and herds and all that they own.’
33. And when Pharaoh calls you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’
34. you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”