Jacob’s Journey to Egypt

¹ So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ² And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said.

“Here I am,” replied Jacob.

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 hands will close your eyes.”^*

⁵ Then Jacob departed from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their children and wives. ⁶ They also took the livestock and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt.

Those Who Went to Egypt

⁷ Jacob took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and granddaughters — all his offspring.

The Children of Leah

⁸ Now 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 died in the land of Canaan.

The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

¹³ The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron.

¹⁴ The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

¹⁵ These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three.

The Children of Zilpah

¹⁶ The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

¹⁷ The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.

The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.

¹⁸ These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah — whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah — sixteen in all.

The Children of Rachel

¹⁹ The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

²⁰ Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt 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 born to Jacob — fourteen in all.

The Children of Bilhah

²³ The son of Dan: Hushim.

²⁴ The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

²⁵ These are the sons of Jacob born to Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel — seven in all.

²⁶ All those belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt— his direct descendants, besides the wives of Jacob’s sons— numbered sixty-six persons. ²⁷ And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt were seventy in all.

Jacob Arrives in Egypt

²⁸ Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen, ²⁹ Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely.

³⁰ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!”

³¹ Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh: ‘My brothers and my father’s household from the land of Canaan have come to me. ³² The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’

³³ When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ ³⁴ you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth — both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”