20. So Joseph acquired all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each of the Egyptians sold his field, since the famine weighed heavily upon them. Thus the land passed over to Pharaoh,
21. and the people were reduced to slavery, from one end of Egypt’s territory to the other.
22. Only the priests’ lands Joseph did not acquire. Since the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived off the allowance Pharaoh had granted them, they did not have to sell their land.
23. Joseph told the people: “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh, here is your seed for sowing the land.