Genesis 45
1 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.
Joseph was not able to control his feelings any longer. He did not want to cry in front of his servants, so he said to them loudly, “All of you go outside!” After they went outside, there was no one else there with Joseph when he told his brothers who he was.
2 And he uttered his voice with weeping; and all the Egyptians heard, and it was reported to the house of Pharao.
He cried so loudly that the people of Egypt who were outside heard it, and even the people in the king’s palace heard it.
3 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.
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is our father still alive?” But his brothers were not able to reply, because they were frightened because of what he said.
4 And Joseph said to his brethren, Draw near to me; and they drew near; and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me!” When they came closer, he said, “I am your brother Joseph! I am the one you sold to traders who brought me here to Egypt!
5 Now then be not grieved, and let it not seem hard to you that you sold me hither, for God sent me before you for life.
But now, do not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves for having sold me to people who brought me here, because it was to save you from dying [because of the famine] that God sent me here ahead of you.
6 For this second year there is famine on the earth, and there are yet five years remaining, in which there is to be neither plowing, nor mowing.
There has been a famine in this country for two years, and it will continue for five more years, so that no one will plow ground, and there will be no crops to harvest.
7 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.
But God sent me here ahead of you, to keep you from starving, and to make sure that your descendants will survive.
8 Now then you did not send me hither, but God; and he has made me as a father of Pharao, and lord of all his house, and ruler of all the land of Egypt.
Therefore, it was not you who sent me here; it was God who sent me here! He has caused me to become like a father to the king. I am in charge of everything in his palace and the governor of everyone in Egypt!
9 Hasten, therefore, and go up to my father, and say to him, These things says your son Joseph; God has made me lord of all the land of Egypt; come down therefore to me, and wait not.
Now return to my father quickly, and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has caused me to become the governor over the whole land of Egypt. Come down to me immediately!
10 And you shall dwell in the land of Gesem of Arabia; and you shall be near me, you and your sons, and your sons' sons, your sheep and your oxen, and whatever things are your.
You can live in the Goshen region. You and your children and your grandchildren, your sheep and goats and cattle, and everything that you own, will be near me.
11 And I will nourish you there: for the famine is yet for five years; lest you be consumed, and your sons, and all your possessions.
Since there will be five more years of famine, I will make sure that you have food. If you do not come here, you and your family and all of your servants will starve. [EUP]”’
12 Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.
“Look closely, and all of you can see, including my brother Benjamin, that it is really I, Joseph, who am speaking to you.
13 Report, therefore, to my father all my glory in Egypt, and all things that you have seen, and make haste and bring down my father hither.
Go and tell my father about how greatly I am honored here in Egypt. And tell him about everything else that you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly!”
14 And he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept on him; and Benjamin wept on his neck.
Then he threw his arms around his [younger] brother Benjamin’s neck and cried. And Benjamin hugged him and cried.
15 And he kissed all his brethren, and wept on them; and after these things his brethren spoke to him.
And then as he kissed his older brothers [on their cheeks], he cried. After that, his brothers started to talk with him.
16 And the report was carried into the house of Pharao, saying, Joseph's brethren are come; and Pharao was glad, and his household.
Someone went to the palace and told the news that Joseph’s brothers had come. The king and all his officials were pleased.
17 And Pharao said to Joseph, Say to your brethren, Do this; fill your waggons, and depart into the land of Chanaan.
The king said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers this: ‘Put loads of grain on your animals and return to the Canaan region.
18 And take up your father, and your possessions, and come to me; and I will give you of all the goods of Egypt, and you shall eat the marrow of the land.
Then bring your father and your families back here. I will give you the best land in Egypt, and you will have the best food in the land to eat.’
19 And do you 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.
“Also tell this to your brothers: ‘Take some carts from Egypt to carry your children and your wives, and get them and your father and come back here quickly.
20 And be not sparing in regard to your property, for all the good of Egypt shall be yours.
Do not worry about bringing your possessions, because the best things in Egypt will be yours. Because of that, you will not need to bring any of your things from Canaan.’”
21 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.
Jacob’s sons did what the king suggested. Joseph gave them carts and food to eat along the way, as the king had ordered.
22 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.
To each of them he gave new clothes, but he gave 300 pieces of silver and five sets of new clothes to Benjamin!
23 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 your journey.
And this is what he sent to his father: Ten male donkeys, loaded with some of the best goods that come from Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other food for his father’s trip to Egypt.
24 And he sent away his brethren, and they went; and he said to them, Be not angry by the way.
Then he sent his brothers on their way, saying to them “Do not quarrel along the way!”
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Chanaan, to Jacob their father.
So they left Egypt and came to their father Jacob in Canaan.
26 And they reported to him, saying, Your son Joseph is living, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt; and Jacob was amazed, for he did not believe them.
One of them told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is the governor over all of Egypt!” Jacob was extremely astonished; he could not believe that it was true.
27 But they spoke to him all the words uttered by Joseph, whatever he said to them; and having seen the chariots which Joseph sent to take him up, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
But they told him everything that Joseph had said to them, and Jacob saw the carts that Joseph had sent to carry him and his family and possessions to Egypt. Then their father Jacob’s shock ended.
28 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.
He said, “What you have said is enough to convince me! My son Joseph is still alive, and I will go and see him before I die!”
