^46:34Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle²⁷ from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen,²⁸ for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting²⁹ to the Egyptians.”

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Footnotes

27 Heb “your servants are men of cattle.”
28 So that you may live in the land of Goshen. Joseph is apparently trying to stress to Pharaoh that his family is self-sufficient, that they will not be a drain on the economy of Egypt. But they will need land for their animals and so Goshen, located on the edge of Egypt, would be a suitable place for them to live. The settled Egyptians were uneasy with nomadic people, but if Jacob and his family settled in Goshen they would represent no threat.
29 Heb “is an abomination.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 43:32 and Exod 8:22.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

you are to say, ‘Your servants, both we and our ancestors, have raised livestock from our youth until now.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to Egyptians.”

NLTNew Living Translation

you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’ When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Then you must say, ‘Your servants are men of livestock from our childhood until now, both we and also our ancestors,’ so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is a detestable thing to Egyptians.”

KJV 1900King James Version

That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

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