Jacob Goes Down to Egypt
1So Israel set out with all he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2That night God spoke to Israel in a vision. “Jacob, Jacob!” he said. “Here I am,” Jacob answered. 3“I am God,” he said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” 5Then Jacob left Beersheba, and the sons of Israel took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6They also took the livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his descendants went to Egypt with him — 7his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters, all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.
The Family of Israel
8These are the names of the sons of Israel — Jacob and his sons — who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. 9The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah — but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron. 14The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, besides his daughter Dinah. In all, his sons and daughters numbered thirty-three. 16The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel. 18These were the sons born to Jacob through Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah — sixteen in all. 19The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph through Asenath, daughter of Poti-Phera, priest of On. 21The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22These were the sons born to Jacob through Rachel — fourteen in all. 23The son of Dan: Hushim. 24The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25These were the sons born to Jacob through Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel — seven in all. 26All those who went to Egypt with Jacob — his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives — numbered sixty-six in all. 27With the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt numbered seventy in all.
Reunited in Goshen
28Jacob sent Judah ahead to Joseph to get directions to Goshen, and they came into the region of Goshen. 29Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as he appeared before him, he threw his arms around his neck and wept there for a long time. 30“Now I am ready to die,” Israel said to Joseph, “since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” 31Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33When Pharaoh calls for you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34you are to say, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”
