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.
And Joseph could not refrain himself when all were standing by him, but said, Dismiss all from me; and no one stood near Joseph, when he made himself known to his brethren.
2 But he cried so loudly that the Egyptians could hear him, and they told Pharaoh's household about it.
And he uttered his voice with weeping; and all the Egyptians heard, and it was reported to the house of Pharao.
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.
And Joseph said to his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled.
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.
And Joseph said to his brethren, Draw nigh to me; and they drew nigh; and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom ye 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.
Now then be not grieved, and let it not seem hard to you that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you for life.
6 The country has suffered from famine for two years already, but there will be five more years with no plowing or reaping.
For this second year there is famine on the earth, and there are yet five years remaining, in which there is to be neither ploughing, nor mowing.
7 God sent me ahead of you to make sure you would still have descendants, to save your lives in this miraculous way.
For God sent me before you, that there might be left to you a remnant upon the earth, even to nourish a great remnant of you.
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.
Now then ye did not send me hither, but God; and he hath made me as a father of Pharao, and lord of all his house, and ruler of 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.
Hasten, therefore, and go up to my father, and say to him, These things saith thy son Joseph; God has made me lord of all the land of Egypt; come down therefore to me, and tarry not.
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.
And thou shalt dwell in the land of Gesem of Arabia; and thou shalt be near me, thou and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, thy sheep and thine oxen, and whatsoever things are thine.
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 I will nourish thee there: for the famine is yet for five years; lest thou be consumed, and thy sons, and all thy possessions.
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, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to 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!”
Report, therefore, to my father all my glory in Egypt, and all things that ye have seen, and make haste and bring down my father hither.
14 He hugged Benjamin, and Benjamin hugged him back. They both wept for joy.
And he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept on him; and Benjamin wept on his neck.
15 He kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers were able to start talking with him.
And he kissed all his brethren, and wept on them; and after these things his brethren spoke to him.
16 Word soon reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had arrived. Pharaoh and his officials were glad to hear the news.
And the report was carried into the house of Pharao, saying, Joseph's brethren are come; and Pharao was glad, and his household.
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.
And Pharao said to Joseph, Say to thy brethren, Do this; fill your waggons, and depart into the land of Chanaan.
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.’
And take up your father, and your possessions, and come to me; and I will give you of all the goods of Egypt, and ye shall eat the marrow 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.
And do thou charge them thus; that they should take for them waggons out of the land of Egypt, for your little ones, and for your wives; and take up your father, and come.
20 Don't worry about bringing your possessions because the best of all Egypt is yours.’”
And be not sparing in regard to your property, for all the good of Egypt shall be 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.
And the children of Israel did so; and Joseph gave to them waggons, according to the words spoken by king Pharao; and he gave them provision for the journey.
22 He gave each of them new clothes. But to Benjamin he gave five sets of clothes and 300 pieces of silver.
And he gave to them all two sets of raiment apiece; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of gold, and five changes of raiment.
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 to his father he sent [presents] at the same rate, and ten asses, bearing some of all the good things of Egypt, and ten mules, bearing bread for his father for thy journey.
24 Then he saw his brothers off, and as they left he told them, “Don't argue on the way!”
And he sent away his brethren, and they went; and he said to them, Be not angry by the way.
25 So they left Egypt and went back home to their father Jacob in the country of Canaan.
And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Chanaan, to Jacob their father.
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!
And they reported to him, saying, Thy son Joseph is living, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt; and Jacob was amazed, 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.
But they spoke to him all the words uttered by Joseph, whatsoever he said to them; and having seen the chariots which Joseph sent to take him up, the spirit of Jacob their father 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.”
And Israel said, It is a great thing for me if Joseph my son is yet alive. I will go and see him before I die.
