Genesis 46 - Modern English Version (MEV)

Jacob’s Journey to Egypt

46 So Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.”

And he said, “Here I am.”

3 Then He said, “I am God, 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 also surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes.”

5 Jacob arose from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father and their little ones and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They took their livestock and their possessions that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. 7 He brought with him to Egypt his sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants.

8 These were the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who came to Egypt:

Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

9 The sons of Reuben were

Hanok, Pallu, Hezron, and Karmi.

10 The sons of Simeon were

Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

11 The sons of Levi were

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12 The sons of Judah were

Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan).

The sons of Perez were

Hezron and Hamul.

13 The sons of Issachar were

Tola, Puah, Job, and Shimron.

14 The sons of Zebulun were

Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

16 And the sons of Gad were

Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17 The sons of Asher were

Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah,

and Serah their sister.

The sons of Beriah:

Heber and Malkiel.

18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob, sixteen in all.

19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were

Joseph and Benjamin. 20 To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, bore to him.

21 The sons of Benjamin were

Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen in all.

23 The son of Dan was

Hushim.

24 The sons of Naphtali:

Jahziel,[a] Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.[b]

25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob, seven in all.

26 All those who came with Jacob to Egypt, who were direct descendants, besides the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All those of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy.

Jacob Settles in Goshen

28 Now he sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. And they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Joseph readied his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet Israel his father. As soon as he appeared to him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time.

30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”

31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; their work has been to feed livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, because every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 46:24 Jahzeel in Nu 26:48.
  2. Genesis 46:24 Shallum in 1Ch 7:13.