1   So Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beersheba where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2   God said to Israel in a vision by night, ‘Jacob, Jacob’, and he answered, ‘I am here.’ 3   God said, ‘I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. 4   I will go down with you to Egypt, and I myself will bring you back again without fail; and Joseph shall close your eyes.’ 5   So Jacob set out from Beersheba. Israel's sons conveyed their father Jacob, their dependants, and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry them. 6   They took the herds and the stock which they had acquired in Canaan and came to Egypt, 7   Jacob and all his descendants with him, his sons and their sons, his daughters and his sons' daughters: he brought all his descendants to Egypt.

8    ^noteThese are the names of the Israelites who entered Egypt: Jacob and his sons, as follows: Reuben, Jacob's eldest son. 9   The sons of Reuben: Enoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. 10   The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Saul, who was the son of a Canaanite woman. 11    12   The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah; of these Er and Onan died in

Joseph in Egypt Canaan. 13   The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. ^noteThe sons of Issachar: Tola, Pua, Iob and Shimron. 14   The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel. 15   These are the sons of Leah whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, and there was also his daughter Dinah. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all.

16   The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli. 17   The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. 18   The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. These are the descendants of Zilpah whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; sixteen in all, born to Jacob.

19    20   The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera priest of On bore them to him. 21   The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher and Ashbel; and the sons of Bela: ^note Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard. 22   These are the descendants of Rachel; fourteen in all, born to Jacob.

23    24   The son ^note of Dan: Hushim. The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. 25   These are the descendants of Bilhah whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel; seven in all, born to Jacob.

26   The persons belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt, all his direct descendants, not counting the wives of his sons, were sixty-six in all. 27   Two sons were born to Joseph in Egypt. Thus the house of Jacob numbered seventy ^note when it entered Egypt.

28   Judah was sent ahead that he might appear ^note before Joseph in Goshen, and so they entered Goshen. 29   Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When they met, he threw his arms round him and wept, and embraced him for a long time, weeping. 30   Israel said to Joseph, ‘I have seen your face again, and you are still alive. 31   Now I am ready to die.’ Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, ‘I will go and tell Pharaoh; I will say to him, “My brothers and my father's household who were in Canaan have come to me.”’ 32   Now his brothers were shepherds, men with their own flocks and herds, and they had brought them with them, their flocks and herds and all that they possessed. 33   So Joseph said, ‘When Pharaoh summons you and asks you what your occupation is, 34   you must say, “My lord, we have been herdsmen all our lives, as our fathers were before us.” You must say this if you are to settle in the land of Goshen, because all shepherds are an abomination to the Egyptians.’

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