KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Then Joseph said to the people, 'Look, I have purchased you and your land today for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you to plant in the ground.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Joseph is telling the Egyptian people that they now belong to Pharaoh along with their land, but he's giving them seed so they can continue farming.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred during the seven years of severe famine that Joseph had predicted. The Egyptians had sold all their possessions, livestock, and eventually their land and themselves to Pharaoh in exchange for food to survive. Joseph, as Pharaoh's administrator, was managing this transition while ensuring the people could still work the land productively.
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