< Genesis 45 >

1 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.
וְלֹֽא־יָכֹל יוֹסֵף לְהִתְאַפֵּק לְכֹל הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיִּקְרָא הוֹצִיאוּ כָל־אִישׁ מֵעָלָי וְלֹא־עָמַד אִישׁ אִתּוֹ בְּהִתְוַדַּע יוֹסֵף אֶל־אֶחָֽיו׃
2 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.
וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־קֹלוֹ בִּבְכִי וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ מִצְרַיִם וַיִּשְׁמַע בֵּית פַּרְעֹֽה׃
3 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.
וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל־אֶחָיו אֲנִי יוֹסֵף הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי וְלֹֽא־יָכְלוּ אֶחָיו לַעֲנוֹת אֹתוֹ כִּי נִבְהֲלוּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃
4 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!
וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל־אֶחָיו גְּשׁוּ־נָא אֵלַי וַיִּגָּשׁוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃
5 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.
וְעַתָּה ׀ אַל־תֵּעָצְבוּ וְאַל־יִחַר בְּעֵינֵיכֶם כִּֽי־מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי לְמִֽחְיָה שְׁלָחַנִי אֱלֹהִים לִפְנֵיכֶֽם׃
6 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.
כִּי־זֶה שְׁנָתַיִם הָרָעָב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ וְעוֹד חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים אֲשֶׁר אֵין־חָרִישׁ וְקָצִּֽיר׃
7 But God sent me here ahead of you, to keep you from starving, and to make sure that your descendants will survive.
וַיִּשְׁלָחֵנִי אֱלֹהִים לִפְנֵיכֶם לָשׂוּם לָכֶם שְׁאֵרִית בָּאָרֶץ וּלְהַחֲיוֹת לָכֶם לִפְלֵיטָה גְּדֹלָֽה׃
8 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!
וְעַתָּה לֹֽא־אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים וַיְשִׂימֵנִֽי לְאָב לְפַרְעֹה וּלְאָדוֹן לְכָל־בֵּיתוֹ וּמֹשֵׁל בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
9 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!
מַהֲרוּ וַעֲלוּ אֶל־אָבִי וַאֲמַרְתֶּם אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר בִּנְךָ יוֹסֵף שָׂמַנִי אֱלֹהִים לְאָדוֹן לְכָל־מִצְרָיִם רְדָה אֵלַי אַֽל־תַּעֲמֹֽד׃
10 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.
וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בְאֶֽרֶץ־גֹּשֶׁן וְהָיִיתָ קָרוֹב אֵלַי אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וּבְנֵי בָנֶיךָ וְצֹאנְךָ וּבְקָרְךָ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לָֽךְ׃
11 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]”’
וְכִלְכַּלְתִּי אֹֽתְךָ שָׁם כִּי־עוֹד חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים רָעָב פֶּן־תִּוָּרֵשׁ אַתָּה וּבֵֽיתְךָ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לָֽךְ׃
12 “Look closely, and all of you can see, including my brother Benjamin, that it is really I, Joseph, who am speaking to you.
וְהִנֵּה עֵֽינֵיכֶם רֹאוֹת וְעֵינֵי אָחִי בִנְיָמִין כִּי־פִי הַֽמְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃
13 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!”
וְהִגַּדְתֶּם לְאָבִי אֶת־כָּל־כְּבוֹדִי בְּמִצְרַיִם וְאֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר רְאִיתֶם וּמִֽהַרְתֶּם וְהוֹרַדְתֶּם אֶת־אָבִי הֵֽנָּה׃
14 Then he threw his arms around his [younger] brother Benjamin’s neck and cried. And Benjamin hugged him and cried.
וַיִּפֹּל עַל־צַוְּארֵי בִנְיָמִֽן־אָחִיו וַיֵּבְךְּ וּבִנְיָמִן בָּכָה עַל־צַוָּארָֽיו׃
15 And then as he kissed his older brothers [on their cheeks], he cried. After that, his brothers started to talk with him.
וַיְנַשֵּׁק לְכָל־אֶחָיו וַיֵּבְךְּ עֲלֵיהֶם וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן דִּבְּרוּ אֶחָיו אִתּֽוֹ׃
16 Someone went to the palace and told the news that Joseph’s brothers had come. The king and all his officials were pleased.
וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע בֵּית פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר בָּאוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי עֲבָדָֽיו׃
17 The king said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers this: ‘Put loads of grain on your animals and return to the Canaan region.
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל־יוֹסֵף אֱמֹר אֶל־אַחֶיךָ זֹאת עֲשׂוּ טַֽעֲנוּ אֶת־בְּעִירְכֶם וּלְכוּ־בֹאוּ אַרְצָה כְּנָֽעַן׃
18 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.’
וּקְחוּ אֶת־אֲבִיכֶם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיכֶם וּבֹאוּ אֵלָי וְאֶתְּנָה לָכֶם אֶת־טוּב אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְאִכְלוּ אֶת־חֵלֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃
19 “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.
וְאַתָּה צֻוֵּיתָה זֹאת עֲשׂוּ קְחוּ־לָכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עֲגָלוֹת לְטַפְּכֶם וְלִנְשֵׁיכֶם וּנְשָׂאתֶם אֶת־אֲבִיכֶם וּבָאתֶֽם׃
20 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.’”
וְעֵינְכֶם אַל־תָּחֹס עַל־כְּלֵיכֶם כִּי־טוּב כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לָכֶם הֽוּא׃
21 Jacob’s sons did what the king suggested. Joseph gave them carts and food to eat along the way, as the king had ordered.
וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם יוֹסֵף עֲגָלוֹת עַל־פִּי פַרְעֹה וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם צֵדָה לַדָּֽרֶךְ׃
22 To each of them he gave new clothes, but he gave 300 pieces of silver and five sets of new clothes to Benjamin!
לְכֻלָּם נָתַן לָאִישׁ חֲלִפוֹת שְׂמָלֹת וּלְבִנְיָמִן נָתַן שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת כֶּסֶף וְחָמֵשׁ חֲלִפֹת שְׂמָלֹֽת׃
23 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.
וּלְאָבִיו שָׁלַח כְּזֹאת עֲשָׂרָה חֲמֹרִים נֹשְׂאִים מִטּוּב מִצְרָיִם וְעֶשֶׂר אֲתֹנֹת נֹֽשְׂאֹת בָּר וָלֶחֶם וּמָזוֹן לְאָבִיו לַדָּֽרֶךְ׃
24 Then he sent his brothers on their way, saying to them “Do not quarrel along the way!”
וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת־אֶחָיו וַיֵּלֵכוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַֽל־תִּרְגְּזוּ בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃
25 So they left Egypt and came to their father Jacob in Canaan.
וַֽיַּעֲלוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶֽם׃
26 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.
וַיַּגִּדוּ לוֹ לֵאמֹר עוֹד יוֹסֵף חַי וְכִֽי־הוּא מֹשֵׁל בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וַיָּפָג לִבּוֹ כִּי לֹא־הֶאֱמִין לָהֶֽם׃
27 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.
וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו אֵת כָּל־דִּבְרֵי יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵהֶם וַיַּרְא אֶת־הָעֲגָלוֹת אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח יוֹסֵף לָשֵׂאת אֹתוֹ וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶֽם׃
28 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!”
וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל רַב עוֹד־יוֹסֵף בְּנִי חָי אֵֽלְכָה וְאֶרְאֶנּוּ בְּטֶרֶם אָמֽוּת׃

< Genesis 45 >