Study Desk

But, bread, was there none in all the land, - for the famine was, very severe, - so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine,

So Joseph gathered up all the silver that was found in the land of Egypt. and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which, they, were buying, - and Joseph brought the silver into the house of Pharaoh.

And the silver was spent out of the land of Egypt and out of the land of Canaan, so all the Egyptians came in unto Joseph, saying - Do give us bread, for why should we die before thee, although, silver, hath failed?

Then said Joseph: Give your cattle, and I will give you for your cattle, - if silver hath failed.

So they brought in their cattle unto Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses and for the cattle of the flock and for the cattle of the herd, and for the asses, - and he provided them with bread for all their cattle, throughout that year.

When that year was ended, then came they unto him in the second year and said to him - We will not hide from my lord, how that the silver and the herds of beasts for my lord are come to an end, - there is nothing left before my lord, save only our bodies and our ground:

Wherefore should we die before thine eyes both we, and our ground? Buy thou us and our ground, for bread, - and we and our ground will become servants to Pharaoh, and give seed, that we may live, and not die, and the ground, not lie waste.

So Joseph bought all the ground of the Egyptians for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine had laid fast hold upon them, - so the land became Pharaohs.

And as for the people, he brought them into bondage as servants, - from one end of the boundary of Egypt unto the other end thereof.

Only, the ground of the priests, bought he not, - for the priests had a statutory-portion, from Pharaoh and they had been eating their statutory-portion, which Pharaoh had given them, for which cause, they had not sold their ground.

And Joseph said unto the people, Lo! I have bought you this day, and your ground for Pharaoh, - see, here is seed for you, so shall ye sow the ground;

and it shall come to pass that, of the yield, ye shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, - but the four parts, shall be your own - for seed for the field, and for your food and for them who are in your households and for food for your little ones.

And they said - Thou hast saved our lives! let us find favour in the eyes of my lord, so will we become Pharaohs servants.

And Joseph appointed it for a statute - until this day, regarding the ground of Egypt, that Pharaoh, should take a fifth, - only, the ground of the priests, was, theirs alone, it had not become Pharaohs.