Genesis 47:22

Plain English Version

And Joseph said to the people, “Listen. Today I gave you mob to Pharaoh, to work for him. And I gave him your land as well. Now I will give you seeds to plant in the ground, so that you can grow food plants. Every time you take food from those plants, you have to split up that food into 5 piles, and give one pile to Pharaoh. You can keep the rest of that food for yourselves. Then you and your families and your little kids, and all the people that live in your homes, you will all have food to eat. And you can take some of the seeds from those food plants, and you can plant those seeds in the ground, so that you can keep growing more food plants.” Then the Egypt people said to Joseph, “Sir, you saved our lives. Thank you for being good to us. We will be Pharaoh’s workers, just like you said.” So Joseph made a new law for Egypt country. That law said that every time the Egypt people got food from their food plants, they had to split up that food into 5 piles, and give one pile to Pharaoh. And you know, that law is still there in Egypt country. After that time, Pharaoh owned all the land in Egypt country. Only the ceremony men still owned their own land. You see, Pharaoh always paid those ceremony men, so they didn’t need to sell him their land to get food. So their land still belonged to them, it didn’t belong to Pharaoh.

Cross References

Genesis 14:18

There was a town in that country called Salem, and the boss over that town was called Melkizedek. He was also a leader of God’s ceremonies. He worked for God, the one that is more powerful than any other god. Well, Melkizedek also went out to meet Abram and his men, and he gave them some bread and some wine.

Genesis 41:45

Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a name in the Egypt language. That name was Zafenath-Pania. Pharaoh also gave Joseph a woman to marry. That woman’s name was Asenath, and her father’s name was Potifera. He was a ceremony leader for the Egypt people, at the town called Onn. That’s the story about how Joseph became Pharaoh’s most important worker, and he started to be in charge of Egypt country. At that time, Joseph was 30 years old. Then Joseph left Pharaoh’s house, and he went all around Egypt country.

Genesis 41:50

Joseph’s wife was called Asenath, and her father’s name was Potifera. He was a ceremony leader for the Egypt people, at the town called Onn. Joseph and Asenath had 2 sons. Both those sons were born at the time when there was still lots of food growing in Egypt country.

Genesis 47:21

And Joseph got all the Egypt people to work for Pharaoh.

1 Corinthians 9:13

You know about the Jewish people that work all the time in God’s ceremony house. They cook the meat that other people bring to give to God. They also get some of that meat for themselves, and that’s good. You see, they get something for their work.

Galatians 6:6

By the way, remember this too. If somebody teaches you God’s word, you have to share your money, and food, and other good things with that teacher.

2 Thessalonians 3:10

Remember what we told you about people that don’t want to work. We told you not to give them food. We said, “If they will not do any work, don’t give them any food.”

1 Timothy 5:17

Everybody has to respect those people that lead the church properly, and the church has to pay them properly, especially the people that work hard to teach God’s word to other people.