^47:13But there was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe; the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away²⁰ because of the famine. ^47:14Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment²¹ for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace.²²^47:15When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was used up, all the Egyptians²³ came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die²⁴ before your very eyes because our money has run out?”

^47:16Then Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food²⁵ in exchange for²⁶ your livestock.” ^47:17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their horses, the livestock of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys.²⁷ He got them through that year by giving them food in exchange for livestock.

^47:18When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our²⁸ lord that the money is used up and the livestock and the animals belong to our lord. Nothing remains before our lord except our bodies and our land. ^47:19Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become²⁹ Pharaoh’s slaves.³⁰ Give us seed that we may live³¹ and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.”³²

^47:20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each³³ of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe.³⁴ So the land became Pharaoh’s. ^47:21Joseph³⁵ made all the people slaves³⁶ from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. ^47:22But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

^47:23Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate³⁷ the land. ^47:24When you gather in the crop,³⁸ give³⁹ one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and the rest⁴⁰ will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” ^47:25They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor,⁴¹ and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”⁴²

^47:26So Joseph made it a statute,⁴³ which is in effect⁴⁴ to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.

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Footnotes

20 The verb לַהַה (lahah, = לָאָה, la’ah) means “to faint, to languish”; it figuratively describes the land as wasting away, drooping, being worn out.
21 Or “in exchange.” On the use of the preposition here see 90 בְּ.
22 Heb “house.”
23 Heb “all Egypt.” The expression is a metonymy and refers to all the people of Egypt.
24 The imperfect verbal form has a deliberative force here.
25 The word “food” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
26 On the use of the preposition here see 90 בְּ.
27 The definite article is translated here as a possessive pronoun.
28 Heb “my.” The expression “my lord” occurs twice more in this verse.
29 After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.
30 Pharaoh’s slaves. The idea of slavery is not attractive to the modern mind, but in the ancient world it was the primary way of dealing with the poor and destitute. If the people became slaves of Pharaoh, it was Pharaoh’s responsibility to feed them and care for them. It was the best way for them to survive the famine.
31 After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.
32 The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.
33 The Hebrew text connects this clause with the preceding one with a causal particle (כִּי, ki). The translation divides the clauses into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
34 The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
35 Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36 The reads “and the people he removed to the cities,” which does not make a lot of sense in this context. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the read “he enslaved them as slaves.”
37 The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.
38 The words “the crop” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
39 The perfect form with the vav (ו) consecutive is equivalent to an imperfect of instruction here.
40 Heb “four parts.”
41 Heb “we find favor in the eyes of my lord.” Some interpret this as a request, “may we find favor in the eyes of my lord.”
42 Slaves. See the note on this word in v. .
43 On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” 16 (1966): 358–61.
44 The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.