Genesis 47:13–26

¹³And there is no bread in all the land, for the famine is very grievous, and the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan are feeble because of the famine; ¹⁴and Joseph gathereth all the silver that is found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn that they are buying, and Joseph bringeth the silver into the house of Pharaoh. ¹⁵And the silver is consumed out of the land of Egypt, and out of the land of Canaan, and all the Egyptians come in unto Joseph, saying, ‘Give to us bread—why do we die before thee, though the money hath ceased?’ ¹⁶and Joseph saith, ‘Give your cattle; and I give to you for your cattle, if the money hath ceased.’ ¹⁷And they bring in their cattle unto Joseph, and Joseph giveth to them bread, for the horses, and for the cattle of the flock, and for the cattle of the herd, and for the asses; and he tendeth them with bread, for all their cattle, during that year. ¹⁸And that year is finished, and they come in unto him on the second year, and say to him, ‘We do not hide from my lord, that since the money hath been finished, and possession of the cattle is unto my lord, there hath not been left before my lord save our bodies, and our ground; ¹⁹why do we die before thine eyes, both we and our ground? buy us and our ground for bread, and we and our ground are servants to Pharaoh; and give seed, and we live, and die not, and the ground is not desolate.’ ²⁰And Joseph buyeth all the ground of Egypt for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians have sold each his field, for the famine hath been severe upon them, and the land becometh Pharaoh’s; ²¹as to the people he hath removed them to cities from the one end of the border of Egypt even unto its other end. ²²Only the ground of the priests he hath not bought, for the priests have a portion from Pharaoh, and they have eaten their portion which Pharaoh hath given to them, therefore they have not sold their ground. ²³And Joseph saith unto the people, ‘Lo, I have bought you to-day and your ground for Pharaoh; lo, seed for you, and ye have sown the ground, ²⁴and it hath come to pass in the increases, that ye have given a fifth to Pharaoh, and four of the parts are for yourselves, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for those who are in your houses, and for food for your infants.’ ²⁵And they say, ‘Thou hast revived us; we find grace in the eyes of my lord, and have been servants to Pharaoh;’ ²⁶and Joseph setteth it for a statute unto this day, concerning the ground of Egypt, that Pharaoh hath a fifth; only the ground of the priests alone hath not become Pharaoh’s.