Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.” New Living Translation Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate.” English Standard Version Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” Berean Standard Bible Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.” King James Bible Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. New King James Version 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 of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.” New American Standard Bible Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” NASB 1995 “Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” NASB 1977 “Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” Legacy Standard Bible Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” Amplified Bible Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed [to plant], that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” Christian Standard Bible Why should we die here in front of you—both us and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed so that we can live and not die, and so that the land won’t become desolate.” Holman Christian Standard Bible Why should we die here in front of you—both us and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed so that we can live and not die, and so that the land won’t become desolate.” American Standard Version wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate. Contemporary English Version Don't let us starve and our land be ruined. If you'll give us grain to eat and seed to plant, we'll sell ourselves and our land to the king. We'll become his slaves. English Revised Version wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate. GOD'S WORD® Translation Do you want us to die right in front of you? Do you want the land to be ruined? Take us and our land in exchange for food. Then we will be Pharaoh's slaves and our land will be his property. But give us seed so that we won't starve to death and the ground won't become a desert." Good News Translation Don't let us die. Do something! Don't let our fields be deserted. Buy us and our land in exchange for food. We will be the king's slaves, and he will own our land. Give us grain to keep us alive and seed so that we can plant our fields." International Standard Version So why should we and our land die right in front of you? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed, so we can survive and not die, and so the land won't stay desolate." Majority Standard Bible Why should we perish before your eyes?we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.? NET Bible Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become Pharaoh's slaves. Give us seed that we may live and not die. Then the land will not become desolate." New Heart English Bible Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land won?t become desolate." Webster's Bible Translation Why shall we die before thy eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. World English Bible 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 to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be desolate.” Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionwhy do we die before your 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 do not die, and the ground is not desolate.” Young's Literal Translation why 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.' Smith's Literal Translation For what shall we die before thine eyes, also we, also our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh: and give seed, and we shall live and not die, and the land shall not be laid waste. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWhy therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thins, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king's servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness. Catholic Public Domain Version Therefore, why should you watch us die? Both we and our land will be yours. Buy us into royal servitude, but provide seed, lest by the dying off of cultivators the land be reduced to a wilderness.” New American Bible Why should we and our land perish before your very eyes? Take us and our land in exchange for food, and we will become Pharaoh’s slaves and our land his property; only give us seed, that we may survive and not perish, and that our land may not turn into a waste.” New Revised Standard Version Shall we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. We with our land will become slaves to Pharaoh; just give us seed, so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleWhy should we die before your eyes, both we and our lands? Buy us and our lands for bread, and we and our lands will be servants to Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die and that the land be not desolate. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Why should we die before you, even we and our lands? Buy us and our lands for bread and we and our lands will be Servants for Pharaoh; and give us seed and we will live and we will not die, and the land will not be destroyed.” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bondmen unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.' Brenton Septuagint Translation In order, then, that we die not before thee, and the land be made desolate, buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharao: give seed that we may sow, and live and not die, so our land shall not be made desolate. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Joseph's Leadership During the Famine…18When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19Why should we perish before your eyes— we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.” 20So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s,… Cross References Exodus 1:11-14 So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. / But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. / They worked the Israelites ruthlessly ... Leviticus 25:39-43 If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. / Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. / Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers. ... Deuteronomy 15:12-15 If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. / And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. / You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. ... 2 Kings 4:1-7 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!” / “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” / “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow empty jars from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. ... Nehemiah 5:3-5 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” / Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. / We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.” Isaiah 5:8 Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land. Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, Jeremiah 34:8-17 After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD / that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage. / So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them, ... Ezekiel 18:7-8 He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. / He does not engage in usury or take excess interest, but he withholds his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between men. Ezekiel 46:17 But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will belong to that servant until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs only to his sons; it shall be theirs. Matthew 18:25 Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned. Matthew 25:14-30 For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. / To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. / The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. ... Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, Luke 7:41-42 “Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. / When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?” Luke 12:58-59 Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison. / I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.” Treasury of Scripture Why shall 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 to Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. buy us. Nehemiah 5:2,3 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live… Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. Lamentations 1:11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile. and give. Genesis 47:23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. Jump to Previous Bondmen Bread Buy Desolate Die Eyes Food Live Pharaoh Seed Servants Wherefore Won'tJump to Next Bondmen Bread Buy Desolate Die Eyes Food Live Pharaoh Seed Servants Wherefore Won'tGenesis 47 1. Joseph presents his father, and five of his brothers before Pharaoh.11. He gives them habitation and maintenance. 13. He gets the Egyptian's money; 16. their cattle; 18. and their lands, except the priests', to Pharaoh. 23. He restores the land for a fifth. 28. Jacob's age. 29. He swears Joseph to bury him with his fathers. Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? This phrase reflects the desperation of the Egyptian people during the severe famine that Joseph had predicted. The famine was so intense that it affected not only individuals but also the land itself, which was the source of sustenance and economic stability. The plea highlights the dire situation and the people's willingness to do whatever it takes to survive. This moment underscores the fulfillment of Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams, demonstrating God's sovereignty and the accuracy of divine revelation. Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate. Persons / Places / Events 1. JosephThe son of Jacob who rose to power in Egypt. He is responsible for managing the resources during the famine. 2. Egyptians The people of Egypt who are experiencing severe famine and are seeking sustenance. 3. Pharaoh The ruler of Egypt who has entrusted Joseph with the management of the country's resources. 4. Famine A severe shortage of food affecting Egypt and surrounding regions, leading to desperate measures by the people. Teaching Points Stewardship and WisdomJoseph's management of resources during the famine exemplifies wise stewardship. Believers are called to manage their resources prudently, trusting in God's provision. Dependence on God The Egyptians' plea for sustenance highlights human dependence on divine provision. In times of need, believers should turn to God, trusting in His faithfulness. God's Sovereignty The unfolding events demonstrate God's sovereignty in using Joseph to preserve life. Believers can find comfort in knowing that God is in control, even in dire circumstances. Compassion and Justice Joseph's actions reflect a balance of compassion and justice. Christians are encouraged to act justly and love mercy, especially when in positions of influence. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Whyלָ֧מָּה (lām·māh) Interrogative Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what should we perish נָמ֣וּת (nā·mūṯ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural Strong's 4191: To die, to kill before your eyes— לְעֵינֶ֗יךָ (lə·‘ê·ne·ḵā) Preposition-l | Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain we אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ (’ă·naḥ·nū) Pronoun - first person common plural Strong's 587: We and גַּ֣ם (gam) Conjunction Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and our land אַדְמָתֵ֔נוּ (’aḏ·mā·ṯê·nū) Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural Strong's 127: Ground, land as well? גַּם־ (gam-) Conjunction Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and Purchase קְנֵֽה־ (qə·nêh-) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own us אֹתָ֥נוּ (’ō·ṯā·nū) Direct object marker | first person common plural Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case and וְאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-) Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case our land אַדְמָתֵ֖נוּ (’aḏ·mā·ṯê·nū) Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural Strong's 127: Ground, land in exchange for food. בַּלָּ֑חֶם (bal·lā·ḥem) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain Then we, אֲנַ֤חְנוּ (’ă·naḥ·nū) Pronoun - first person common plural Strong's 587: We along with our land, וְאַדְמָתֵ֙נוּ֙ (wə·’aḏ·mā·ṯê·nū) Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural Strong's 127: Ground, land will be וְנִֽהְיֶ֞ה (wə·nih·yeh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be slaves עֲבָדִ֣ים (‘ă·ḇā·ḏîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 5650: Slave, servant to Pharaoh. לְפַרְעֹ֔ה (lə·p̄ar·‘ōh) Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings Give וְתֶן־ (wə·ṯen-) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 5414: To give, put, set us seed זֶ֗רַע (ze·ra‘) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity that we may live וְנִֽחְיֶה֙ (wə·niḥ·yeh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural Strong's 2421: To live, to revive and not וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no die, נָמ֔וּת (nā·mūṯ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural Strong's 4191: To die, to kill and that the land וְהָאֲדָמָ֖ה (wə·hā·’ă·ḏā·māh) Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 127: Ground, land may not לֹ֥א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no become desolate.? תֵשָֽׁם׃ (ṯê·šām) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 3456: To be desolate Links Genesis 47:19 NIVGenesis 47:19 NLT Genesis 47:19 ESV Genesis 47:19 NASB Genesis 47:19 KJV Genesis 47:19 BibleApps.com Genesis 47:19 Biblia Paralela Genesis 47:19 Chinese Bible Genesis 47:19 French Bible Genesis 47:19 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 47:19 Why should we die before your eyes (Gen. 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