Study Desk

These are the sons of Le'ah, whom she bore to Ya`akov in Paddan-Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three.

These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Lavan gave to Le'ah, his daughter, and these she bore to Ya`akov, even sixteen souls.

These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Lavan gave to Rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to Ya`akov: all the souls were seven.

All the souls who came with Ya`akov into Mitzrayim, who were his direct descendants, besides Ya`akov's sons' wives, all the souls were sixty-six.

Yosef made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Yisra'el, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

Yosef said to his brothers, and to his father's house, "I will go up, and speak with Par`oh, and will tell him, 'My brothers, and my father's house, who were in the land of Kana`an, have come to me.

From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Par`oh.

Par`oh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" They said to Par`oh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers."

Yosef brought in Ya`akov, his father, and set him before Par`oh, and Ya`akov blessed Par`oh.

Yosef placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Mitzrayim, in the best of the land, in the land of Ra`meses, as Par`oh had commanded.

Yosef nourished his father, his brothers, and all of his father's household, with bread, according to their families.

So Yosef bought all the land of Mitzrayim for Par`oh, for the Mitzrim sold every man his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became Par`oh's.

Ya`akov lived in the land of Mitzrayim seventeen years. So the days of Ya`akov, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.

The time drew near that Yisra'el must die, and he called his son Yosef, and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don't bury me in Mitzrayim,

It happened after these things, that one said to Yosef, "Behold, your father is sick." He took with him his two sons, Menashsheh and Efrayim.

Yosef said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." He said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them."

Yosef brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the eretz.

Yosef took them both, Efrayim in his right hand toward Yisra'el's left hand, and Menashsheh in his left hand toward Yisra'el's right hand, and brought them near to him.

Yisra'el stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Efrayim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Menashsheh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Menashsheh was the firstborn.

When Yosef saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Efrayim, it displeased him. He held up his father's hand, to remove it from Efrayim's head to Menashsheh's head.