The Family of Jacob goes to Egypt

1So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had. When he came to Beer Sheba he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He replied, “Here I am!” 3He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there. Joseph will close your eyes.”

5Then Jacob started out from Beer Sheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent along to transport him. 6Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt. 7He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters – all his descendants.

8These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt – Jacob and his sons:

Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.

9The sons of Reuben:

Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

10The sons of Simeon:

Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar,

and Shaul (the son of a Canaanite woman).

11The sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12The sons of Judah:

Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah

(but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan).

The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13The sons of Issachar:

Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.

14The sons of Zebulun:

Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

15These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all.

16The sons of Gad:

Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17The sons of Asher:

Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister.

The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel.

18These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, sixteen in all.

19The sons of Rachel the wife of Jacob:

Joseph and Benjamin.

20Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore them to him.

21The sons of Benjamin:

Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

22These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen in all.

23The son of Dan: Hushim.

24The sons of Naphtali:

Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

25These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, seven in all.

26All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt with him were sixty-six in number. (This number does not include the wives of Jacob’s sons.) 27Counting the two sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt, all the people of the household of Jacob who were in Egypt numbered seventy.

28Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. So they came to the land of Goshen. 29Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he met him, he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time.

30Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” 31Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 32The men are shepherds; they take care of livestock. They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 33Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting to the Egyptians.”