« | Genesis 47 | » |
1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brothers, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan.
2 And behold, they are in the land of Goshen. And he took some of his brothers, five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 And Pharaoh said to his brothers, What is your occupation? And they said to Pharaoh, Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.
4 And they said to Pharaoh, For we have come to live in the land. For your servants have no pasture left for their flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
5 And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, Your father and your brothers have come to you.
6 The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and brothers to live in the best of the land; in the land of Goshen let them live. And if you know men of ability among them, then make them overseers of livestock, over what is mine.
7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, How many are the days of the years of your life?
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and I have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11 And Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh commanded.
12 And Joseph nourished his father and his brothers, and all his father's household, with bread, for the mouth of the little ones.
13 And no bread was in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted because of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the silver found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought. And Joseph brought the silver into Pharaoh's house.
15 And when silver failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the silver has failed.
16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle, and I will give you for your cattle, if silver has failed.
17 And they brought their cattle to Joseph. And Joseph gave them food for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses. And he fed them with food for all their cattle for that year.
18 When that year was ended, they came to him the second year and said, We will not hide it from my lord, that our silver has failed, also our herds of cattle, going to my lord. Nothing is left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies and our lands.
19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants for Pharaoh. And give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land be not desolate.
20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them and the land became Pharaoh's.
21 And as for the people, he caused them to go into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end of it.
22 Only he did not buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore they did not sell their land.
23 And Joseph said to the people, Behold, I have bought you this day, and your land, for Pharaoh. Lo, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
24 And it shall be, as you gather you shall give the fifth part to Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for those of your household, and for food for your little ones.
25 And they said, You have saved our lives. Let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
26 And Joseph made it a law of the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, excepting only the land of the priests, which did not become Pharaoh's.
27 And Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they had possession in it, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. And the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty-seven years.
29 And the days of Israel to die drew near. And he called his son Joseph, and said to him, If now I have found grace in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt.
30 But I will lie with my fathers. You shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying-place. And he said, I will do according to your words.
31 And he said, Swear to me. And he swore to him. And Israel bowed on the head of the bed.
The Modern King James Version (MKJV)
The Modern King James Version (MKJV) is a contemporary English translation of the Bible that aims to preserve the majesty and accuracy of the original King James Version (KJV) while updating its language for modern readers. Developed by Jay P. Green Sr. and first published in 1990, the MKJV seeks to maintain the literary beauty and doctrinal reliability of the KJV, making only necessary adjustments to archaic terms and phrases to enhance readability. This careful balance allows the MKJV to retain the classic feel of the KJV while making it more accessible to today’s audience.
One of the standout features of the MKJV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or word-for-word translation. The translators have meticulously preserved the structure and vocabulary of the KJV, only updating words and phrases that have become outdated or whose meanings have shifted over time. This approach ensures that the MKJV remains faithful to the original texts and maintains the theological and literary integrity of the KJV. By preserving the cadence and phrasing of the original, the MKJV offers a reading experience that is both familiar and refreshed for modern readers.
The MKJV also pays special attention to the textual basis of the translation. Like the KJV, it relies on the Textus Receptus for the New Testament and the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament. This adherence to traditional source texts underscores the MKJV’s commitment to continuity with the historic Christian tradition. The translation is designed to serve both devotional and scholarly purposes, providing a text that is suitable for study, teaching, and public reading in a variety of settings.
Despite its strengths, the Modern King James Version has faced some criticism. Some scholars and readers argue that the translation could benefit from a more extensive revision to fully embrace contemporary language, suggesting that the MKJV’s adherence to the structure and style of the KJV may still pose challenges for modern readers. Others appreciate the balance it strikes but note that it occupies a niche space, appealing primarily to those who have a strong attachment to the KJV. Nonetheless, the MKJV remains a respected and valued translation for those seeking a modern update of the KJV that honors its rich heritage and timeless message.