Gen 47:23 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.
Gen 47:24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
Gen 47:25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
Gen 47:26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.
Gen 47:23 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.
Gen 47:24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
Gen 47:25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
Gen 47:26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.
During this extended famine the people had no choice really to sell all they had even themselves to server Pharaoh, else they would die.
What is striking is that even under what seems like a harsh situation, they still retained rights to 80% of their production of the land. Pharaoh only required 20% of their future earning.
Here in the USA what would we say to blanket 20% Flat Tax on our earnings. Would we agree, would we think it was too much or too little to give to the government? How many today pay taxes of various forms (FIT, SIT, SS, MED Payroll taxes)……….. as will as any number of other State and Local, including Property and Sales Taxes.
Rainbow Trout 
Just checking what comments look like!
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