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Isra'el lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. They acquired possessions in it and were productive, and their numbers multiplied greatly. Haftarah Vayigash: Yechezk'el (Ezekiel) 37:15–28 B'rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Vayigash: Acts 7:9–16 (specifically vv. 13–15) Ya‘akov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; thus Ya‘akov lived to be 147 years old. The time came when Isra'el was approaching death; so he called for his son Yosef and said to him, "If you truly love me, please put your hand under my thigh and pledge that, out of consideration for me, you will not bury me in Egypt. Rather, when I sleep with my fathers, you are to carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried." He replied, "I will do as you have said." He said, "Swear it to me," and he swore to him. Then Isra'el bowed down at the head of his bed.

The time came when Isra'el was approaching death; so he called for his son Yosef and said to him, "If you truly love me, please put your hand under my thigh and pledge that, out of consideration for me, you will not bury me in Egypt.

"Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died suddenly, as we were traveling through the land of Kena‘an, while we were still some distance from Efrat; so I buried her there on the way to Efrat (also known as Beit-Lechem)."

Yosef answered his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." Ya‘akov replied, "I want you to bring them here to me, so that I can bless them."

(ii) Now Isra'el's eyes were dim with age, so that he could not see. Yosef brought his sons near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

Though superior in vigor and power you are unstable as water, so your superiority will end, because you climbed into your father's bed and defiled it — he climbed onto my concubine's couch!

Dan will be a viper on the road, a horned snake in the path that bites the horse's heels so its rider falls off backward.

Then Yosef ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Isra'el.

So Yosef went up to bury his father. With him went all Pharaoh's servants, the leaders of his household and the leaders of the land of Egypt,

So they sent a message to Yosef which said, "Your father gave this order before he died:

‘Say to Yosef, "I beg you now, please forgive your brothers' crime and wickedness in doing you harm."' So now, we beg of you, forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father." Yosef wept when they spoke to him;

You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good — so that it would come about as it is today, with many people's lives being saved.

(vii) So don't be afraid — I will provide for you and your little ones." In this way he comforted them, speaking kindly to them.

So Yosef died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him and put him in a coffin in Egypt. Haftarah Vayechi: M'lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 2:1–12 B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Vayechi: Acts 7:9–16 (specifically vv. 15–16); Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:21–22; 1 Kefa (1 Peter) 1:3–9; 2:11–17 Hazak, hazak, v'nit'chazek! Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened!

So they put slavemasters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built for Pharaoh the storage cities of Pitom and Ra‘amses.

However, the midwives were God-fearing women, so they didn't do as the king of Egypt ordered but let the boys live.

Pharaoh's daughter answered, "Yes, go." So the girl went and called the baby's own mother.

Pharaoh's daughter told her, "Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will pay you for doing it." So the woman took the child and nursed it.

When they came to Re‘u'el their father, he said, "How come you're back so soon today?"

Therefore, now, come; and I will send you to Pharaoh; so that you can lead my people, the descendants of Isra'el, out of Egypt."