Genesis 46
1 Israel set out with all he had and came to Beersheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He answered, “Here I am.”
3 God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, because there I will make you into a great nation.
4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I myself will surely bring you back up; and Joseph will close your eyes with his hand.”
5 Jacob set out from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their children, and their wives in the carts Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6 They also took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his descendants came to Egypt with him.
7 He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters, all his descendants.
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Jacob’s firstborn was Reuben.
9 The sons of Reuben were Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, 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, Puvah, Job, and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These were the children of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, besides his daughter Dinah. All his sons and daughters numbered thirty-three people.
16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel.
18 These were the children of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; she bore them to Jacob: sixteen people.
19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin.
20 In the land of Egypt, Joseph had Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.
21 The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22 These were the children of Rachel born to Jacob: fourteen people in all.
23 The son of Dan was Hushim.
24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These were the children of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel; she bore them to Jacob: seven people in all.
26 All the people who came with Jacob to Egypt, his own descendants, not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons, numbered sixty-six in all.
27 Joseph’s sons, who were born to him in Egypt, were two people. All the people of Jacob’s household who went to Egypt numbered seventy.
28 Jacob sent Judah ahead to Joseph to show him the way to Goshen, and they came to the land of Goshen.
29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he appeared before him, he threw his arms around his neck and wept for a long time.
30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die, after seeing your face, because you are still alive.”
31 Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh. I will 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, for they have always raised livestock. They have brought their sheep, their cattle, and everything they own.’
33 When Pharaoh calls you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’
34 Then answer, ‘Your servants have raised livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers.’ Then you can live in the land of Goshen, because every shepherd is detestable to the Egyptians.”
Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app