Jacob Go Egypt

One chariot dey run fast across di dusty fields of Goshen. Di man wey dey drive am na one of di most powerful people for Egypt. But when e reach one old shepherd wey dey wait for roadside, e jump down, hold am round im neck, and cry. And e continue to cry, for long, long time.

For more than twenty years, Jacob believe say wild animal don kill Joseph, di son wey e love pass. Then im other sons come back from Egypt with news wey shock am. Joseph dey alive. Na im be governor of di whole Egypt. And e want make di whole family come live near am, because di famine still remain five years. Jacob don old now. To leave Canaan, di land wey God promise im grandpapa Abraham, na big step. So e set out, with im sons and their families, their flocks and everything wey dem get, and e travel go south reach Beersheba.

For Beersheba, where im papa Isaac and im grandpapa Abraham don worship before, Jacob offer sacrifice to God. And dat night God talk to am for vision. Jacob, Jacob. Na me be dis. I be God, di God of your papa. No fear to go down to Egypt, because I go make you big nation for there. I go go down with you, and for sure I go bring you back again. And na Joseph im own hand go close your eyes. No fear. Jacob dey leave di promised land, but e no dey leave di God of di promise. God dey come too.

So di wagons wey Pharaoh send begin roll go south, dem carry Jacob, di small children and di women. Genesis count di family wey go down to Egypt: seventy people in all, plus Joseph and im two sons wey don already dey there. Jacob send Judah go first to ask di way to Goshen, one good area for di north-east of Egypt. Then Joseph prepare im chariot and ride go meet im papa. When e see am, e fall on im neck and cry for long time. And Jacob talk, Now I fit die with peace, because I don see your face, and I know say you still dey alive.

Joseph prepare im brothers to meet Pharaoh. When e ask wetin be una work, tell am di truth. Una don dey keep animals all una life. Egyptians dey look down on shepherds, so Goshen, wey dey small apart, go fit dem well. Pharaoh do dem well. Di land of Egypt dey before you. Settle your family for di best part, for Goshen. Then Joseph bring im papa come inside. And something wonderful happen. Di old shepherd bless di king of Egypt. How old you be? Pharaoh ask. One hundred and thirty years, Jacob answer. My years few, and dem hard. E bless Pharaoh again, and e comot.

Di famine come worse. Joseph sell di grain wey Pharaoh store give di people of Egypt. When their money finish, dem exchange their animals, then their land, and Joseph make law say one out of every five part of di harvest go be Pharaoh own. You don save our lives, di people talk. Meanwhile Jacob family settle for Goshen, and dem grow and multiply. Jacob live seventeen more years. When e know say im time don near, e call Joseph and make am promise. No bury me for Egypt. Carry me go home, and bury me where my fathers lie. Joseph promise. And Jacob, wey be Israel, bow down worship.

Families from Canaan wey move enter Egypt na something wey Egyptian evidence show say e really happen. Inside one tomb for Beni Hasan, wey dem paint around nineteen hundred years before Christ, one group of thirty-seven travellers from western Asia dey arrive Egypt: men, women and children for bright clothes wey get pattern, with donkeys wey carry their load. Di painting no be of Jacob family. But e show di kind people, and di kind journey, wey di end of Genesis describe.

Jacob go down to Egypt. You go find am for Genesis chapter forty-six and forty-seven. Jacob fear to leave home, and God talk, I go go down with you. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where you dey face something new, and you fit trust say God dey go with you?