1So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

2And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”

3“I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.

4I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”

5Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him.

6So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan.

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

8These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:

15These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,46:15That is, Northwest Mesopotamia besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.

18These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.

22These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.

25These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.

26All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.

27With the two sons46:27Hebrew; Septuagint the nine children who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy46:27Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5 and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five in all.

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

29Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father46:29Hebrew around him and wept for a long time.

30Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”

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

32The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’

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

34you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”