< 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 not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried: 'Cause every man to go out from me.' And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2 But he cried so loudly that the Egyptians could hear him, and they told Pharaoh's household about it.
And he wept aloud; 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 unto his brethren: 'I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?' And his brethren could not answer him; for they were affrighted 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 unto 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, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send 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 these two years hath the famine been in the land; and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing 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.
And God sent me before you to give you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive for 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.
So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, 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.
Hasten ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him: Thus saith thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto 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 unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, 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 sustain thee; for there are yet five years of famine; lest thou come to poverty, 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 that speaketh unto 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 ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall hasten and bring down my father hither.'
14 He hugged Benjamin, and Benjamin hugged him back. They both wept for joy.
And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon 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 thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying: 'Joseph's brethren are come'; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
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 unto Joseph: 'Say unto thy brethren: This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto 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 unto 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.
Now thou art commanded, this do ye: take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 Don't worry about bringing your possessions because the best of all Egypt is yours.’”
Also regard not your stuff; for the good things of all the land of Egypt are 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 wagons, 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 all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver, 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 in like manner ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread and victual 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!”
So he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and he said unto them: 'See that ye fall not out 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 Canaan unto 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 yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.' And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.
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 told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, 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.'

< Genesis 45 >