1 Jacob Israel packed up everything he owned and left for Egypt. On the way he stopped near the town of Beer-sheba and offered sacrifices to the God his father Isaac had worshiped.

2 That night, God spoke to him and said: »Jacob! Jacob!« »Here I am,« Jacob answered.

3 God said: »I am God! I am the same God your father worshiped. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt. I will give you so many descendants that one day they will become a nation.

4 »I will go to Egypt with you. I will make sure you come back again. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.«

5 Jacob left Beer-sheba. Israel’s sons put their father Jacob, their children, and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to bring him back.

6 They took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. Jacob and all his family arrived in Egypt.

7 He brought his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters, his entire family.

8 These are the names of Israel’s descendants Jacob and his descendants who arrived in Egypt. Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn.

9 The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.

11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. Er and Onan died in Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.

14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

15 These were the sons Leah gave to Jacob in Paddan-aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of these sons and daughters was thirty-three.

16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel.

18 These were the descendants of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. She gave birth to these children for Jacob. The total was sixteen.

19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest from the city of On.

21 The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob. The total was fourteen.

23 The son of Dan was Hushim.

24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

25 These were the descendants of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. She gave birth to these sons for Jacob. The total was seven.

26 The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went with him to Egypt was sixty-six. This did not include the wives of Jacob’s sons.

27 Joseph had two sons who were born in Egypt. There were a total of seventy people in Jacob’s household who went to Egypt.

28 Jacob sent Judah ahead to ask Joseph to meet them in Goshen. When they arrived,

29 Joseph got in his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father. When they met, Joseph threw his arms around his father’s neck and cried for a long time.

30 Jacob said to Joseph: »Now I am ready to die. Now that I have seen you and know that you are still alive.«

31 Joseph said to his brothers and the rest of his father’s family: »I must go and tell the king that my brothers and all my father’s family, who were living in Canaan, have come to me.

32 »I will tell him that you are shepherds and take care of livestock. And that you have brought your flocks and herds and everything else that belongs to you.

33 »The king will call for you. He will ask what your occupation is.

34 »Be sure to tell him that you have taken care of livestock all your lives, just as your ancestors did. In this way he will let you live in the region of Goshen. Joseph said this because Egyptians will have nothing to do with shepherds consider shepherds loathsome.