Chap. XLVI

Then Isr’el setting forward on his way
With all his household, came to Beersheba;
And offer’d sacrifice there to implore
The God his father Isaac did adore.
And in the visions of the night God spake
To him, and said, Fear not to undertake
This journey into Egypt, for I am
The God of thy forefathers, Abraham
And Isaac; to the land of Egypt I
Will go with thee, and there will multiply
Thy offspring, and of thee will surely make
A mighty nation, and will bring thee back;
And thy son Joseph there thine eyes shall close.
After which vision he from thence arose,
And in the wagons which King Pharaoh sent,
He and his family to Egypt went:
His sons, their wives and children, and the rest
Of their concerns, whereof they were possest
When they in Canaan dwelt, and they were then
No more in number but threescore and ten.
And when to Egypt Israel drew near
He sent before him Judah, to prepare
His way to Goshen, which when Joseph heard,
Immediately his chariot he prepar’d;
And unto Goshen he directly went,
And to his father did himself present:
And being over-joy’d fell on his neck,
And for a good while thereupon he wept.
Then Jacob said, Since thou yet liv’st, and I
Have seen thy face once more, now let me die.
And Joseph said, My brethren I will go
Unto King Pharaoh, and will let him know
That you, and all my father’s house are come;
And that your occupation when at home,
Hath been in feeding cattle altogether,
And that you’ve brought your flocks and herds all hither.
Now therefore when you come before the king,
And he should ask you what your trade hath been,
Say thus: Thy servants from our youth till now
Have dealt in cattle, we and our fathers too,
That he may let you dwell in Goshen, for
Th’ Egyptians do a shepherd’s life abhor.