1Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” 2He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.
3Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”
“Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”
5Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
7Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed47:7 Or greeted Pharaoh, 8Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”
9And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” 10Then Jacob blessed47:10 Or said farewell to Pharaoh and went out from his presence.
11So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. 12Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.
Joseph and the Famine
13There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace. 15When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.”
16“Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” 17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”
20So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities from one end of Egypt to the other. 22However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
23Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”
25“You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”
26So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.
27Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.
28Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. 29When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”
“I will do as you say,” he said.
31“Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed
Yakobo Ambariki Farao
147:1 Mwa 46:31Yosefu akaenda na kumwambia Farao, “Baba yangu na ndugu zangu wamekuja kutoka nchi ya Kanaani wakiwa na makundi yao ya kondoo, mbuzi na ngʼombe, pamoja na kila kitu walicho nacho, nao sasa wapo huko Gosheni.” 2Akachagua ndugu zake watano na kuwaonyesha kwa Farao.
347:3 Mwa 46:33Farao akawauliza hao ndugu zake, “Kazi yenu ni nini?”
Wakamjibu, “Watumishi wako ni wachunga mifugo, kama vile baba zetu walivyokuwa.” 447:4 Mwa 46:34Pia wakamwambia Farao, “Tumekuja kukaa huku kwa muda mfupi, kwa sababu njaa ni kali huko Kanaani, na mifugo ya watumishi wako haina malisho. Kwa hiyo sasa, tafadhali uruhusu watumishi wako wakae huko Gosheni.”
5Farao akamwambia Yosefu, “Baba yako na ndugu zako wamekuja kwako, 647:6 Kut 18:21nayo nchi ya Misri ipo mbele yako, uwakalishe baba yako na ndugu zako katika sehemu iliyo bora kupita zote katika nchi. Na waishi Gosheni. Kama unamfahamu yeyote miongoni mwao mwenye uwezo maalum, waweke wawe wasimamizi wa mifugo yangu.”
747:7 2Sam 14:22Ndipo Yosefu akamleta Yakobo baba yake na kumtambulisha mbele ya Farao. Baada ya Yakobo kumbariki Farao, 8Farao akamuuliza, “Je una umri gani?”
947:9 Mwa 25:7Naye Yakobo akamwambia Farao, “Siku za miaka ya kusafiri kwangu ni miaka 130. Miaka yangu imekuwa michache na ya taabu, wala haikufikia miaka ya kusafiri ya baba zangu.” 1047:10 Mwa 47:7Kisha Yakobo akambariki Farao, naye akaondoka mbele ya uso wake.
1147:11 Hes 33:3, 5Ndipo Yosefu akawakalisha baba yake na ndugu zake katika nchi ya Misri na kuwapa milki katika sehemu bora sana ya nchi, wilaya ya Ramesesi, kama Farao alivyoelekeza. 1247:12 Mwa 45:11Pia Yosefu akampa baba yake, na ndugu zake na wote wa nyumbani mwa baba yake vyakula, kwa kulingana na hesabu ya watoto wao.
Uongozi Wa Yosefu Wakati Wa Njaa
1347:13 Mwa 12:10Hata hivyo, hapakuwepo chakula katika sehemu yote kwa kuwa njaa ilikuwa kali sana; Misri na Kanaani zote zikaharibiwa kwa sababu ya njaa. 1447:14 Kut 7:23Yosefu akakusanya fedha zote zilizopatikana kutoka mauzo ya nafaka huko Misri na Kanaani, akazileta kwenye jumba la kifalme la Farao. 1547:15 Kut 16:3Fedha za watu wa Misri na Kanaani zilipokwisha, Wamisri wote wakamjia Yosefu na kumwambia, “Tupatie chakula. Kwa nini tufe mbele ya macho yako? Fedha zetu zimekwisha.”
1647:16 Mwa 47:18, 19Yosefu akawaambia, “Basi leteni mifugo yenu, nitawauzia chakula kwa kubadilisha na mifugo yenu, kwa kuwa fedha zenu zimekwisha.” 1747:17 Kut 14:9Kwa hiyo wakaleta mifugo yao kwa Yosefu, naye akawapa chakula kwa kubadilishana na farasi zao, kondoo na mbuzi zao, ngʼombe na punda zao. Katika mwaka huo wote Yosefu akawapa chakula kwa kubadilishana na mifugo yao yote.
18Mwaka ule ulipokwisha, wakamjia mwaka uliofuata na kumwambia, “Hatuwezi kuficha ukweli mbele za bwana wetu kwamba, kwa kuwa fedha zetu zimekwisha na wanyama wetu ni mali yako, sasa hakuna chochote kilichosalia kwa ajili ya bwana wetu isipokuwa miili yetu na ardhi yetu. 19Kwa nini tuangamie mbele ya macho yako, sisi pamoja na nchi yetu? Utununue sisi pamoja na ardhi yetu ili kubadilishana kwa chakula. Nasi pamoja na nchi yetu tutakuwa watumwa wa Farao. Tupe sisi mbegu ili tuweze kuishi wala tusife, nchi yetu isije ikawa ukiwa.”
2047:20 Mwa 12:10Kwa hiyo Yosefu akamnunulia Farao nchi yote ya Misri. Wamisri, mmoja baada ya mwingine, waliuza mashamba yao, kwa sababu njaa ilikuwa kali sana kwao. Nchi ikawa mali ya Farao, 21naye Yosefu akawafanya watu watumike kama watumwa, kuanzia upande mmoja wa Misri hadi upande mwingine. 2247:22 Kum 14:28-29Hata hivyo, hakununua nchi ya makuhani, kwa sababu walikuwa wanapata mgawo wao wa kawaida kutoka kwa Farao, nao walikuwa na chakula cha kuwatosha kutokana na mgawo waliopewa na Farao. Hii ndiyo sababu hawakuuza ardhi yao.
2347:23 Neh 5:3Yosefu akawaambia watu, “Kwa vile nimewanunua ninyi pamoja na nchi yenu leo kuwa mali ya Farao, hapa kuna mbegu kwa ajili yenu ili mweze kuziotesha. 2447:24 Mwa 41:34Lakini wakati mazao yatakapokuwa tayari, mpeni Farao sehemu ya tano. Sehemu hizo nne zitakazobaki mtaziweka kama mbegu kwa ajili ya mashamba na kwa ajili ya chakula chenu wenyewe na cha watu wa nyumbani mwenu na watoto wenu.”
2547:25 Mwa 32:5Wakamwambia, “Umeokoa maisha yetu. Basi na tupate kibali mbele ya macho ya bwana wetu; tutakuwa watumwa wa Farao.”
2647:26 Mwa 41:34Basi Yosefu akaiweka iwe sheria kuhusu nchi ya Misri, ambayo inatumika mpaka leo, kwamba, sehemu ya tano ya mazao ni mali ya Farao. Ni nchi ya makuhani tu ambayo haikuwa ya Farao.
2747:27 Mwa 1:22Basi Waisraeli wakaishi Misri katika nchi ya Gosheni. Wakapata mali huko wakastawi na kuongezeka kwa wingi sana.
2847:28 Za 105:23Yakobo akaishi Misri miaka kumi na saba, nayo miaka ya maisha yake ilikuwa 147. 2947:29 Mwa 24:32Wakati ulipokaribia wa Israeli kufa, akamwita mwanawe Yosefu na kumwambia, “Kama nimepata kibali machoni pake, weka mkono wako chini ya paja langu na uniahidi kuwa utanifanyia fadhili na uaminifu. Usinizike Misri, 3047:30 Yos 24:32lakini nitakapopumzika na baba zangu, unichukue kutoka Misri, ukanizike walipozikwa.”
Yosefu akamwambia, “Nitafanya kama unavyosema.”
3147:31 Amu 15:12Akamwambia, “Niapie.” Ndipo Yosefu akamwapia, naye Israeli akaabudu, akiwa ameegemea juu ya kichwa cha fimbo yake.
