Israel Sets out for Egypt
46 1 So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to our Father, whom his father Isaac had worshiped.
2 And our Father spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am."
3 Then he said, "I am your Father, whom your father worshiped. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back again; and Joseph will close your eyes with his own hand." a a v4 Our Father pledges to go down with Israel into Egypt and to bring his people out again — the first promise of his accompanying presence in exile, fulfilled centuries later in the Exodus.
5 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They also took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt — Jacob and all his offspring with him.
7 His sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters — all his offspring he brought with him to Egypt.
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt — Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, along with his daughter Dinah; all his sons and daughters numbered thirty-three.
16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, with Serah their sister. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and these she bore to Jacob — sixteen persons in all.
19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt — their mother was Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob — fourteen persons in all.
23 The sons of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel; and these she bore to Jacob — seven persons in all. 26 All of Jacob's direct descendants who came to Egypt — not counting his sons' wives — numbered sixty-six in all. 27 Joseph had two sons born to him in Egypt. In all, the members of Jacob's household who came to Egypt numbered seventy.
The Road to Goshen
28 Jacob sent Judah ahead to Joseph to show the way to Goshen, and they came to the land of Goshen. 29 Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. He presented himself to him, fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face — that you are still alive."
31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.' 33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, 'What is your occupation?' 34 you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now — both we and our fathers,' so that you may settle in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is detestable to the Egyptians."