Skip to content
Journey Through the Bible

Genesis 46:1-34

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

2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,” he replied.

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.

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

5 Then 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.

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

7 He took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.

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

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

10 The sons of Simeon:
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, 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 had died in the land of Canaan).
The sons of Perez:
Hezron and Hamul.

13 The sons of Issachar:
Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.

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

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

16 The sons of Gad:
Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.

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

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

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

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

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

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

23 The son of Dan:
Hushim.

24 The sons of Naphtali:
Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.

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

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

27 With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all.

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

29 Joseph 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 father and wept for a long time.

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

31 Then 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.

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

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

34 you 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.”

Cross References for Genesis 46:1-34

Genesis 4:4 - But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with fav... Click to read the verse Genesis 4:4 Click to read the verse Genesis 4:4

Job 42:8 - So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering ... Click to read the verse Job 42:8 Click to read the verse Job 42:8

Genesis 12:8 - From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the ... Click to read the verse Genesis 12:8 Click to read the verse Genesis 12:8

Genesis 17:21 - But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” Click to read the verse Genesis 17:21 Click to read the verse Genesis 17:21

Genesis 8:20 - Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds,... Click to read the verse Genesis 8:20 Click to read the verse Genesis 8:20

Genesis 33:20 - There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel. Click to read the verse Genesis 33:20 Click to read the verse Genesis 33:20

Genesis 35:7 - There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revea... Click to read the verse Genesis 35:7 Click to read the verse Genesis 35:7

Genesis 28:13 - There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and ... Click to read the verse Genesis 28:13 Click to read the verse Genesis 28:13

Genesis 21:33 - Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the Lord, th... Click to read the verse Genesis 21:33 Click to read the verse Genesis 21:33

Genesis 35:3 - Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the d... Click to read the verse Genesis 35:3 Click to read the verse Genesis 35:3

Genesis 22:13 - Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and too... Click to read the verse Genesis 22:13 Click to read the verse Genesis 22:13

Genesis 31:53 - May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jac... Click to read the verse Genesis 31:53 Click to read the verse Genesis 31:53

Genesis 31:42 - If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you wo... Click to read the verse Genesis 31:42 Click to read the verse Genesis 31:42

Genesis 21:31 - So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there. Click to read the verse Genesis 21:31 Click to read the verse Genesis 21:31

Job 1:5 - When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in t... Click to read the verse Job 1:5 Click to read the verse Job 1:5

Genesis 21:14 - Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He se... Click to read the verse Genesis 21:14 Click to read the verse Genesis 21:14

Genesis 26:23 - From there he went up to Beersheba. Click to read the verse Genesis 26:23 Click to read the verse Genesis 26:23

Genesis 28:10 - Jacob’s Dream at Bethel Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. Click to read the verse Genesis 28:10 Click to read the verse Genesis 28:10

Genesis 26:22-25 - He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth... Click to read the verse Genesis 26:22-25 Click to read the verse Genesis 26:22-25

1 Samuel 3:20 - And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. Click to read the verse 1 Samuel 3:20 Click to read the verse 1 Samuel 3:20

Amos 7:9 - “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with ... Click to read the verse Amos 7:9 Click to read the verse Amos 7:9