Genesis 46

1So Israel set out with everything he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

2God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He answered, “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 myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I myself will surely bring you back up again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”

5Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

6They also took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they came to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him.

7He brought with him to Egypt his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—all his offspring.

8These are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his descendants, who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

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 had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.

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

15These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, together with his daughter Dinah. Altogether his sons and daughters numbered thirty-three.

16The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel.

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

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

20In the land of Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph. Asenath the 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: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

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

26All the people who went to Egypt with Jacob, his own direct descendants, not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons, numbered sixty-six.

27With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt numbered seventy in all.

28Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the land of Goshen,

29Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as he appeared before him, he threw his arms around his neck and wept on his neck a long time.

30Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”

31Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh. I will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

32The men are shepherds; they have always kept livestock. They have brought their flocks and herds and everything they own.’

33When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’

34you are to answer, ‘Your servants have kept livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”