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 control himself before all them that stood by him, and he cried, Put every man out from me! And no man stood with him when Joseph 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 raised his voice in weeping; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
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. Does my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at 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.
And Joseph said to his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, 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.
And now, be not grieved, and be not angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you to preserve 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 the famine has been these two years in the land; and yet there are five years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest.
7 God sent me ahead of you to make sure you would still have descendants, to save your lives in this miraculous way.
So God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive 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.
And now it was not you [that] sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and governor 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.
Haste and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus says thy son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, 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 Goshen, and thou shalt be near to me, thou, and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, and thy sheep, and thy cattle, and all that thou hast.
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 will I maintain thee; for yet there are five years of famine; in order that thou be not impoverished, thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast.
12 Then Joseph told his brothers, “You can all see for yourselves—including my brother Benjamin—that it's really me talking to you!
And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth which 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!”
And tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen, and 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; 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 upon them; and after that his brethren 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.
And the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come. And it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his bondmen.
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 Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to thy brethren, Do this: load your beasts and depart, go into 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.’
and take your father and your households, and come to me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat 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.
And thou art commanded — this do: take 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 let not your eye regret your stuff; for the good of all the land 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 sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them waggons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22 He gave each of them new clothes. But to Benjamin he gave five sets of clothes and 300 pieces of silver.
To each one of them all he gave changes of clothing; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred [pieces] of silver and five changes of clothing.
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 this: ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread, and food for his father by the way.
24 Then he saw his brothers off, and as they left he told them, “Don't argue on the way!”
And he sent his brethren away, and they departed. And 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.
And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan 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 told him, saying, Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And his heart fainted, 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.
And they spoke to him all the words of Joseph, which he had spoken to them. And he saw the waggons that Joseph had sent to carry him. And 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 enough: Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die.
