GENESIS 46 - English NLT

Jacob’s Journey to Egypt

Verse 1:
So Jacob set out for Egypt with all his possessions. And when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac.

Verse 2:
During the night God spoke to him in a vision. “Jacob! Jacob!” he called.
“Here I am,” Jacob replied.

Verse 3:
“I am God, the God of your father,” the voice said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation.

Verse 4:
I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again. You will die in Egypt, but Joseph will be with you to close your eyes.”

Verse 5:
So Jacob left Beersheba, and his sons took him to Egypt. They carried him and their little ones and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had provided for them.

Verse 6:
They also took all their livestock and all the personal belongings they had acquired in the land of Canaan. So Jacob and his entire family went to Egypt—

Verse 7:
sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters—all his descendants.

Verse 8:
These are the names of the descendants of Israel—the sons of Jacob—who went to Egypt:

Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son.

Verse 9:
The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

Verse 10:
The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul’s mother was a Canaanite woman.)

Verse 11:
The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Verse 12:
The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (though Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

Verse 13:
The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.

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

Verse 15:
These were the sons of Leah and Jacob who were born in Paddan-aram, in addition to their daughter, Dinah. The number of Jacob’s descendants (male and female) through Leah was thirty-three.

Verse 16:
The sons of Gad were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

Verse 17:
The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malkiel.

Verse 18:
These were the sons of Zilpah, the servant given to Leah by her father, Laban. The number of Jacob’s descendants through Zilpah was sixteen.

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

Verse 20:
Joseph’s sons, born in the land of Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephraim. Their mother was Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On.

Verse 21:
Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

Verse 22:
These were the sons of Rachel and Jacob. The number of Jacob’s descendants through Rachel was fourteen.

Verse 23:
The son of Dan was Hushim.

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

Verse 25:
These were the sons of Bilhah, the servant given to Rachel by her father, Laban. The number of Jacob’s descendants through Bilhah was seven.

Verse 26:
The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went with him to Egypt, not counting his sons’ wives, was sixty-six. 27In addition, Joseph had two sons who were born in Egypt. So altogether, there were seventy members of Jacob’s family in the land of Egypt.

Jacob’s Family Arrives in Goshen

Verse 28:
As they neared their destination, Jacob sent Judah ahead to meet Joseph and get directions to the region of Goshen. And when they finally arrived there,

Verse 29:
Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father, Jacob. When Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept, holding him for a long time.

Verse 30:
Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive.”

Verse 31:
And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s entire family, “I will go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s entire family have come to me from the land of Canaan.

Verse 32:
These men are shepherds, and they raise livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’”

Verse 33:
Then he said, “When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation,

Verse 34:
you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’ When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds.”





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