Part 58

46:29. And when he was come thither, Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet his father in the same place: and seeing him, he fell upon his neck, and embracing him, wept.

46:30. And the father said to Joseph: Now shall I die with joy, because I have seen thy face, and leave thee alive.

46:31. And Joseph said to his brethren, and to all his father’s house: I will go up, and will tell Pharao, and will say to him: My brethren, and my father’s house, that were in the land of Chanaan, are come to me:

46:32. And the men are shepherds, and their occupation is to feed cattle; their flocks, and herds, and all they have, they have brought with them.

46:33. And when he shall call you, and shall say: What is your occupation?

46:34. You shall answer: We, thy servants, are shepherds, from our infancy until now, both we and our fathers. And this you shall say, that you may dwell in the land of Gessen, because the Egyptians have all shepherds in abomination.

Genesis Chapter 47

Jacob and his sons are presented before Pharao: he giveth them the land of Gessen. The famine forceth the Egyptians to sell all their possessions to the king.

47:1. Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are come out of the land of Chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of Gessen.

47:2. Five men also, the last of his brethren, he presented before the king:

The last ... xtremos. Some interpret this word of the chiefest, and most rightly: but Joseph seems rather to have chosen out such as had the meanest appearance, that Pharao might not think of employing them at court, with danger of their morals and religion.

47:3. And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: We, thy servants, are shepherds, both we and our fathers.

47:4. We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be in the land of Gessen.

47:5. The king therefore said to Joseph: Thy father and thy brethren are come to thee.

47:6. The land of Egypt is before thee: and make them dwell in the best place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle.

47:7. After this Joseph brought in his father to the king, and presented him before him: and he blessed him.

47:8. And being asked by him: How many are the days of the years of thy life?

47:9. He answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few, and evil, and they are not come up to the days of the pilgrimage of my fathers.

47:10. And blessing the king, he went out.

47:11. But Joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Ramesses, as Pharao had commanded.

47:12. And he nourished them, and all his father’s house, allowing food to every one.

47:13. For in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land, more especially of Egypt and Chanaan;

47:14. Out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which they bought, and brought it in to the king’s treasure.

47:15. And when the buyers wanted money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: Give us bread: why should we die in thy presence, having now no money?

47:16. And he answered them: Bring me your cattle, and for them I will give you food, if you have no money.

47:17. And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses: and he maintained them that year for the exchange of their cattle.

47:18. And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our bodies and our lands.

47:19. Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thine, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king’s servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.