And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore,
so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason
of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in
the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they
bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. And when
money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the
Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should
we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. And Joseph said, Give
your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. And
they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in
exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the
herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their
cattle for that year. When that year was ended, they came unto him the
second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how
that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there
is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our
lands: wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land?
buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants
unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that
the land be not desolate. And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for
Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine
prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's. And as for the
people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt
even to the other end thereof. Only the land of the priests bought he
not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did
eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not
their lands.
Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day
and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow
the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give
the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for
seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households,
and for food for your little ones. And they said, Thou hast saved
our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be
Pharaoh's servants. And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt
unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land
of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.
And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and
they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. And
Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of
Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
CHAPTER 24
THE DEATH OF JACOB
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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