“Enough!” said Israel. “My son Joseph is still alive! I must go and see him before I die.”
So Israel set out with all that was his, and he came to Beer-sheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God called to Israel in a vision by night: “Jacob! Jacob!” He answered, “Here.” And He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Fear not to go down to Egypt, for I will make you there into a great nation. I Myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I Myself will also bring you back; and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”
So Jacob set out from Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel put their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to transport him; and they took along their livestock and the wealth that they had amassed in the land of Canaan. Thus Jacob and all his offspring with him came to Egypt: he brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters–all his offspring.
These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who came to Egypt. Jacob’s first-born Reuben; Reuben’s sons: Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. Simeon’s sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Saul the son of a Canaanite woman. Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah–but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan; and Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul. Issachar’s sons: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron. Zebulun’s sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. Those were the sons whom Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. Persons in all, male and female: 33.
Gad’s sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. Asher’s sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and their sister Serah. Beriah’s sons: Heber and Malchiel. These were the descendants of Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah. These she bore to Jacob–16 persons.
The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. To Joseph were born in the land of Egypt Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath daughter of Poti-phera priest of On bore to him. Benjamin’s sons: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. These were the descendants of Rachel who were born to Jacob–14 persons in all.
Dan’s son: Hushim. Naphtali’s sons: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. These were the descendants of Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel. These she bore to Jacob–7 persons in all.
All the persons belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt–his own issue, aside from the wives of Jacob’s sons–all these persons numbered 66. And Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt were two in number. Thus the total of Jacob’s household who came to Egypt was seventy persons.
From Parshat VaYigash. From THE TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.