Genesis 47

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 So Joseph went and told Pharaoh, 'My father and brothers have arrived from Canaan with their flocksand cattle and al their possessions. Here they are, in the region of Goshen.'	1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are come out of the land of Chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of Gessen.
2 He had taken five of his brothers, and he now presented them to Pharaoh.	2 Five men also the last of his brethren, he presented before the king:
3 Pharaoh asked his brothers, 'What is your occupation?' and they gave Pharaoh the answer, 'Yourservants are shepherds, like our fathers before us.'	3 And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: Re thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.
4 They went on to tel Pharaoh, 'We have come to stay in this country for the time being, since there isno pasturage for your servants' flocks, Canaan being stricken with famine. So now please al ow your servants tosettle in the region of Goshen.'	4 We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be in the land of Gessen.
5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,'They may stay in the region of Goshen, and if you know of any capablemen among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.' Jacob and his sons went to Egypt where Josephwas. Pharaoh king of Egypt heard about this and said to Joseph, 'Your father and brothers have come to you.	5 The king therefore said to Joseph: Thy father and thy brethren are come to thee.
6 The country of Egypt is open to you: settle your father and brothers in the best region.'	6 The land of Egypt is before thee: make them dwell in the best place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle.
7 Joseph brought his father and presented him to Pharaoh. Jacob paid his respects to Pharaoh.	7 After this Joseph brought in his to the king, and presented him before him: and he blessed him.
8 Pharaoh asked Jacob, 'How many years have you lived?'	8 And being asked by him: How many are the days of the years of thy life?
9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The years of my stay on earth add up to one hundred and thirty years. Fewand unhappy my years have been, fal ing short of my ancestors' years in their stay on earth.'	9 He answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few, and evil, and they are not come up to the days of the pilgrimage of my fathers.
10 Jacob then took leave of Pharaoh and withdrew from his presence.	10 And blessing the king, he went out.
11 Joseph then settled his father and brothers, giving them land holdings in Egypt, in the best part of thecountry, the region of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered.	11 But Joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Ramesses, as Pharao had commanded.
12 Joseph provided his father, brothers and al his father's family with food, down to the least of them.	12 And he nourished them, and all his father's house, allowing food to every one.
13 And on al the earth around there was now no food anywhere, for the famine had grown very severe,and Egypt and Canaan were both weak with hunger.	13 For in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land: more especially of Egypt and Chanaan.
14 Joseph accumulated al the money to be found in Egypt and Canaan, in exchange for the suppliesbeing handed out, and put the money in Pharaoh's palace.	14 Out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which they bought, and brought it into the king's treasure.
15 When al the money in Egypt and Canaan was exhausted, al the Egyptians came to Joseph,pleading, 'Give us food, unless you want us to die before your eyes! For our money has come to an end.'	15 And when the buyers wanted money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: Give us bread: why should we die in thy presence, having now net money.
16 Joseph replied, 'Hand over your livestock and I shal issue you food in exchange for your livestock, ifyour money has come to an end.'	16 And he answered them: Bring your cattle, and for them I will give you food, if you have no money.
17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for horses andlivestock, whether sheep or cattle, and for donkeys. Thus he saw them through that year with food in exchangefor all their livestock.	17 And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, end asses and he maintained them that year for the exchange of their cattle.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the next year, and said to him, 'We cannot hide it frommy lord: the truth is, our money has run out and the livestock is in my lord's possession. There is nothing left formy lord except our bodies and our land.	18 And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our bodies and our lands.
19 If we and our land are not to perish, take us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our landwil become Pharaoh's serfs; only give us seed, so that we can survive and not die and the land not revert todesert!'	19 Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thins, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king's servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.
20 Thus Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, since one by one the Egyptians sold theirfields, so hard pressed were they by the famine; and the whole country passed into Pharaoh's possession,	20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. And he brought it into Pharao's hands:
21 while the people he reduced to serfdom from one end of Egypt to the other.	21 And all its people from one end of the borders of Egypt, even to the other end thereof,
22 The only land he did not acquire belonged to the priests, for the priests received an al owance fromPharaoh and lived on the al owance that Pharaoh gave them. Hence they had no need to sel their land.	22 Except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the public stores, and therefore they were not forced to sell their possessions.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, 'This is how we stand: I have bought you out, with your land, onPharaoh's behalf. Here is seed for you to sow the land.	23 Then Joseph said to the people : Behold as you see, both you and your lands belong to Pharao: take seed and sow the fields,
24 But of the harvest you must give a fifth to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you can have for sowingyour fields, to provide food for yourselves and your households, and food for your children.'	24 That you may have corn. The fifth part you shall give to the king: the other four you shall have for seed, and for food for your families and children.
25 'You have saved our lives!' they replied. 'If it please my lord, we will become serfs to Pharaoh.'	25 And they answered: Our life is in thy hand: only let my lord look favourably upon us, and we will gladly serve the king.
26 So Joseph made a law, still in force today, as regards the soil of Egypt, that one-fifth should go toPharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not go to Pharaoh.	26 From that time unto this day, in the whole land of Egypt, the fifth part is paid to the king, and it is become as a law, except the land of the priests, which was free from this covenant.
27 Thus Israel settled in Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there; they were fruitfuland grew very numerous.	27 So Israel dwelt in Egypt, that is, in the land of Gessen, and possessed it: and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly.
28 Jacob lived seventeen years in Egypt; thus Jacob's total age came to a hundred and forty-sevenyears.	28 And he lived in it seventeen years: and all the days of his life came to a hundred and forty-seven years.
29 When Israel's time to die drew near he sent for his son Joseph and said to him, 'If you real y love me,place your hand under my thigh as pledge that you will act with faithful love towards me: do not bury me inEgypt!	29 And when he saw that the day of his death drew nigh, he called his son Joseph, and said to him: If I have found favour in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh; and thou shalt shew me this kindness and truth, not to bury me in Egypt:
30 When I lie down with my ancestors, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their tomb.' 'I shal do asyou say,' he replied.	30 But I will sleep with my fathers, end thou shalt take me away out of this land, and bury me in the burying place of my ancestors. And Joseph answered him: I will do what thou hast commanded.
31 'Swear to me,' he insisted. So he swore to him, and Israel sank back on the pil ow.	31 And he said: Swear then to me. And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the bed's head.