Genesis 46 Common English Bible

Jacob’s household moves to Egypt

46 Israel packed up everything he owned and traveled to Beer-sheba. There he offered sacrifices to his father Isaac’s God. ²God said to Israel in a vision at night, “Jacob! Jacob!” and he said, “I’m here.” ³He said, “I am El,^[a] your father’s God. Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt because I will make a great nation of you there. ⁴I will go down to Egypt with you, and I promise to bring you out again. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.” ⁵Then Jacob left Beer-sheba. Israel’s sons put their father Jacob, their children, and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. ⁶They took their livestock and their possessions that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and arrived in Egypt, Jacob and all of his children with him. ⁷His sons and grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—all of his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

⁸These are the names of the Israelites who went to Egypt, including Jacob and his sons. Jacob’s oldest son was Reuben. ⁹Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. ¹⁰Simeon’s sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite. ¹¹Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹²Judah’s sons were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. Er and Onan both died in the land of Canaan. Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul. ¹³Issachar’s sons were Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron. ¹⁴Zebulun’s sons were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. ¹⁵These are the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram. Her daughter was Dinah. All of these persons, including his sons and daughters, totaled 33.

¹⁶Gad’s sons were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. ¹⁷Asher’s sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malchiel. ¹⁸These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. She bore these to Jacob, a total of 16 persons.

¹⁹The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁰To Joseph, in the land of Egypt, were born Manasseh and Ephraim. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis,^[b] bore them to him. ²¹Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. ²²These are Rachel’s sons who were born to Jacob, a total of 14 persons.

²³Dan’s son^[c] was Hushim. ²⁴Naphtali’s sons were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. ²⁵These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. She bore these to Jacob, a total of 7 persons. ²⁶All of the persons going to Egypt with Jacob—his own children, excluding Jacob’s sons’ wives—totaled 66 persons. ²⁷Joseph’s sons born to him in Egypt were 2 persons. Thus, all of the persons in Jacob’s household going to Egypt totaled 70.

²⁸Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph so that Joseph could explain the way to Goshen. Then they arrived in the land of Goshen. ²⁹Joseph hitched up his chariot and went to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he arrived, he threw his arms around his neck and wept, embracing him for a long time. ³⁰Israel said to Joseph, “I can die now after seeing your face. You are really still alive!”

Jacob’s household settles in Egypt

³¹Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “Let me go up and inform Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have arrived. ³²The men are shepherds, because they own livestock. They’ve brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ ³³When Pharaoh summons you and says, ‘What do you do?’ ³⁴say, ‘Your servants have owned livestock since we were young, both we and our ancestors,’ so that you will be able to settle in the land of Goshen, since Egyptians think all shepherds are beneath their dignity.”