15. After some time, the people in Egypt and Canaan had no money left. They had spent all their money to buy grain. So the people of Egypt went to Joseph and said, “Please give us food. Our money is gone. If we don’t eat, we will die while you are watching.”
16. But Joseph answered, “Give me your cattle, and I will give you food.”
17. So the people used their cattle and horses and all their other animals to buy food. And that year, Joseph gave them food and took their animals.
18. But the next year the people had no animals and nothing to buy food with. So they went to Joseph and said, “You know that we have no money left, and all our animals belong to you. So we have nothing left—only what you see—our bodies and our land.
19. Surely we will die while you are watching. But if you give us food, we will give Pharaoh our land, and we will be his slaves. Give us seed so that we can plant. Then we will live and not die, and the land will grow food for us again.”
20. So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. All the people in Egypt sold Joseph their fields. They did this because they were very hungry.
21. And everywhere in Egypt all the people became Pharaoh’s slaves.
22. The only land Joseph didn’t buy was the land that the priests owned. The priests didn’t need to sell their land because Pharaoh paid them for their work. So they used this money to buy food to eat.
23. Joseph said to the people, “Now I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. So I will give you seed, and you can plant your fields.