Genesis 45
1 Joseph couldn't control his emotions any longer while all his attendants were there, so he shouted out, “Everybody leave me!” So there was nobody else there when Joseph revealed who he was to his brothers.
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!” So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.
2 But he cried so loudly that the Egyptians could hear him, and they told Pharaoh's household about it.
But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household soon heard of it.
3 “I'm Joseph!” he announced to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” They couldn't answer him as they were so surprised to see him face to face.
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.
4 “Please come closer to me,” he told his brothers. They came over to him. “I'm your brother Joseph who you sold into slavery in Egypt.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt!
5 But don't be worried or get angry with yourselves that you sold me to be a slave here, because it was God who sent me ahead of you to save lives.
And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.
6 The country has suffered from famine for two years already, but there will be five more years with no plowing or reaping.
For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.
7 God sent me ahead of you to make sure you would still have descendants, to save your lives in this miraculous way.
God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So it wasn't you who sent me here, but God. He was the one who made me Pharaoh's chief advisor in charge of all his affairs, and ruler of the whole country of Egypt.
Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 Now hurry! Go back to my father and tell him, ‘This message comes from your son Joseph: God has made me the ruler of the whole of Egypt. Come to me now; don't wait.
Now return quickly to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay.
10 You'll live in the land of Goshen so you can be close to me with your children and grandchildren, and with your flocks and herds and everything that belongs to you.
You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own.
11 I'll make sure you have food, because there are still five more years of famine to come. Otherwise you and your family and your animals are going to starve.’”
And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.’
12 Then Joseph told his brothers, “You can all see for yourselves—including my brother Benjamin—that it's really me talking to you!
Behold! You and my brother Benjamin can see that I, Joseph, am the one speaking with you.
13 Tell my father how much I'm respected in Egypt. Tell him everything that you've seen. Hurry! Bring my father here quickly!”
Tell my father about all my splendor in Egypt and everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”
14 He hugged Benjamin, and Benjamin hugged him back. They both wept for joy.
Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced.
15 He kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers were able to start talking with him.
Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.
16 Word soon reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had arrived. Pharaoh and his officials were glad to hear the news.
When the news reached Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and his servants were pleased.
17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you are to do: Load your donkeys with grain and go back to the country of Canaan.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do as follows: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan.
18 Then bring your father and your families and return here to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt, and you shall eat the best food the country has to offer.’
Then bring your father and your families and return to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat from the fat of the land.’
19 Tell them to do this as well, ‘Take some wagons from Egypt for your children and your wives. Bring them and your father here.
You are also directed to tell them: ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your young children and your wives, and bring your father and come back.
20 Don't worry about bringing your possessions because the best of all Egypt is yours.’”
But pay no regard to your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 So that's what the sons of Israel did. Joseph provided them with wagons, as Pharaoh had ordered. He also gave them supplies for their journey.
So the sons of Israel did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.
22 He gave each of them new clothes. But to Benjamin he gave five sets of clothes and 300 pieces of silver.
He gave new garments to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes.
23 Joseph also sent to his father the following: ten donkeys carrying the best things from Egypt, and ten female donkeys carrying grain and bread and supplies needed for his father's journey.
And he sent to his father the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provisions for his father’s journey.
24 Then he saw his brothers off, and as they left he told them, “Don't argue on the way!”
Then Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way!”
25 So they left Egypt and went back home to their father Jacob in the country of Canaan.
So the brothers went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.
26 “Joseph's still alive!” they told him. “It's true, and he's the ruler of the whole country of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned at the news—he just couldn't believe it!
“Joseph is still alive,” they said, “and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” But Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them.
27 But when they told him everything that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to take him to Egypt, Jacob came back to his senses.
However, when they relayed all that Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob was revived.
28 Israel said, “All right, I believe you! My son Joseph is still alive! I'm going to go and see him before I die.”
“Enough!” declared Israel. “My son Joseph is still alive! I will go to see him before I die.”
