One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 15
Genesis 46
46So 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.H3478H5265H935H884H2076H2077H430H1H33272During the night God spoke to him in a vision. "Jacob! Jacob!" he called."Here I am," Jacob replied.H430H559H3478H4759H3915H559H3290H3290H5593"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.H559H410H430H1H3372H3381H4714H7760H1419H14714I 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."H3381H4714H5927H5927H3130H7896H3027H58695So 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.H3290H6965H884H1121H3478H5375H3290H1H2945H802H5699H6547H7971H53756They 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—H3947H4735H7399H7408H776H3667H935H4714H3290H22337sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters—all his descendants.H1121H1121H1121H1323H1121H1323H2233H935H47148These are the names of the descendants of Israel—the sons of Jacob—who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob's oldest son.H8034H1121H3478H935H4714H3290H1121H7205H3290H10609The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.H1121H7205H2585H6396H2696H375610The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul's mother was a Canaanite woman.)H1121H8095H3223H3226H161H3199H6714H7586H1121H366911The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.H1121H3878H1648H6955H484712The 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.H1121H3063H6147H209H7956H6557H2226H6147H209H4191H776H3667H1121H6557H2696H253813The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.H1121H3485H8439H6312H3102H811014The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.H1121H2074H5624H356H317715These 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.H1121H3812H3205H3290H6307H1323H1783H5315H1121H1323H7970H796916The sons of Gad were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.H1121H1410H6837H2291H7764H675H6179H722H69217The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. Beriah's sons were Heber and Malkiel.H1121H836H3232H3438H3440H1283H8294H269H1121H1283H2268H443918These were the sons of Zilpah, the servant given to Leah by her father, Laban. The number of Jacob's descendants through Zilpah was sixteen.H1121H2153H3837H5414H3812H1323H3205H3290H6240H8337H531519The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.H1121H7354H3290H802H3130H114420Joseph's sons, born in the land of Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephraim. Their mother was Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On.H3130H776H4714H3205H4519H669H621H1323H6319H3548H204H320521Benjamin's sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.H1121H1144H1106H1071H788H1617H5283H278H7220H4649H2650H71422These were the sons of Rachel and Jacob. The number of Jacob's descendants through Rachel was fourteen.H1121H7354H3205H3290H5315H702H624023The son of Dan was Hushim.H1121H1835H236624The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.H1121H5321H3183H1476H3337H800625These were the sons of Bilhah, the servant given to Rachel by her father, Laban. The number of Jacob's descendants through Bilhah was seven.H1121H1090H3837H5414H7354H1323H3205H3290H5315H765126The total number of Jacob's direct descendants who went with him to Egypt, not counting his sons' wives, was sixty-six.H5315H935H3290H4714H3318H3409H3290H1121H802H5315H8346H833727In 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.H1121H3130H3205H4714H8147H5315H5315H1004H3290H935H4714H765728As 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,H7971H3063H6440H3130H3384H6440H1657H935H776H165729Joseph 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.H3130H631H4818H5927H7125H3478H1H1657H7200H5307H6677H1058H6677H575030Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive."H3478H559H3130H6471H4191H310H7200H6440H5750H241631And 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.H3130H559H251H1H1004H5927H5046H6547H559H251H1H1004H776H3667H93532These men are shepherds, and they raise livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.'"H582H7462H6629H4735H935H6629H124133Then he said, "When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation,H6547H7121H559H463934you 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."H559H5650H582H4735H5271H1H3427H776H1657H7462H6629H8441H4714
Genesis 47
47Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, "My father and my brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region of Goshen."H3130H935H5046H6547H559H1H251H6629H1241H935H776H3667H776H16572Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh.H3947H7097H251H2568H582H3322H6440H65473And Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" They replied, "We, your servants, are shepherds, just like our ancestors.H6547H559H251H4639H559H6547H5650H7462H6629H14We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there. So please, we request permission to live in the region of Goshen."H559H6547H1481H776H935H5650H4829H6629H7458H3515H776H3667H5650H3427H776H16575Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Now that your father and brothers have joined you here,H6547H559H3130H559H1H251H9356choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too."H776H4714H6440H4315H776H3427H1H251H3427H776H1657H3427H3045H3426H582H2428H7760H8269H47357Then Joseph brought in his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.H3130H935H3290H1H5975H6440H6547H3290H1288H65478"How old are you?" Pharaoh asked him.H6547H559H3290H4100H2416H3117H81419Jacob replied, "I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years. But my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors."H3290H559H6547H3117H8141H4033H3967H7970H8141H4592H7451H3117H8141H2416H5381H3117H8141H2416H1H3117H403310Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court.H3290H1288H6547H3318H6440H654711So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the region of Rameses—to his father and his brothers, and he settled them there, just as Pharaoh had commanded.H3130H3427H1H251H5414H272H776H4714H4315H776H776H7486H6547H668012And Joseph provided food for his father and his brothers in amounts appropriate to the number of their dependents, including the smallest children.H3130H3557H1H251H1H1004H3899H6310H294513Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up, and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan.H3899H776H7458H3966H3515H776H4714H776H3667H3856H6440H745814By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh's treasury.H3130H3950H3701H4672H776H4714H776H3667H7668H7666H3130H935H3701H6547H100415When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. "Our money is gone!" they cried. "But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!"H3701H8552H776H4714H776H3667H4714H935H3130H559H3051H3899H4191H3701H65616Joseph replied, "Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock."H3130H559H3051H4735H5414H4735H3701H65617So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year.H935H4735H3130H3130H5414H3899H5483H6629H4735H1241H2543H5095H3899H4735H814118But that year ended, and the next year they came again and said, "We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone, and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land.H8141H8552H935H8145H8141H559H3582H113H3701H8552H113H413H4735H929H7604H6440H113H1472H12719Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate."H4191H5869H127H7069H127H3899H127H5650H6547H5414H2233H2421H4191H127H345620So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh.H3130H7069H127H4714H6547H4714H4376H376H7704H7458H2388H776H654721As for the people, he made them all slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other.H5971H5674H5892H7097H1366H4714H709722The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn't need to sell their land.H127H3548H7069H3548H2706H6547H398H2706H6547H5414H4376H12723Then Joseph said to the people, "Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields.H3130H559H5971H7069H853H3117H127H6547H1887H2233H2232H12724Then when you harvest it, one-fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones."H8393H5414H2549H6547H702H3027H2233H7704H400H1004H398H294525"You have saved our lives!" they exclaimed. "May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh's servants."H559H2421H4672H2580H5869H113H6547H565026Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh.H3130H7760H2706H127H4714H3117H6547H2569H7535H127H3548H654727Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly.H3478H3427H776H4714H776H1657H270H6509H7235H396628Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt, so he lived 147 years in all.H3290H2421H776H4714H6240H7651H8141H2416H3117H3290H3967H705H8141H7651H814129As the time of his death drew near, Jacob called for his son Joseph and said to him, "Please do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me with unfailing love by honoring this last request: Do not bury me in Egypt.H3117H7126H3478H4191H7121H1121H3130H559H4672H2580H5869H7760H3027H3409H6213H2617H571H6912H471430When I die, please take my body out of Egypt and bury me with my ancestors." So Joseph promised, "I will do as you ask."H7901H1H5375H4714H6912H6900H559H6213H169731"Swear that you will do it," Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed.H559H7650H7650H3478H7812H4296H7218
Psalms 15
15[A psalm of David.] Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?H4210H1732H3068H1481H168H7931H6944H2022 2Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.H1980H8549H6466H6664H1696H571H3824 3Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.H7270H3956H6213H7451H7453H5375H2781H7138 4Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts.H5869H3988H959H3513H3373H3068H7650H7489H4171 5Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.H5414H3701H5392H3947H7810H5355H6213H5769H4131
Dublin, OH
set out for Egypt with all his possessions. And when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac.H3478
