Genesis 45
1 Then Joseph couldn’t control himself before all those who stood before him, and he called out, “Cause everyone to go out from me!” No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
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 He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
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 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Does my father still live?” His brothers couldn’t answer him; for they were terrified at his presence.
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 Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” They came near. He said, “I am Joseph, your brother, 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 don’t be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve 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 these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be no plowing and no harvest.
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 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.
But God sent me here ahead of you, to keep you from starving, and to make sure that your descendants will survive.
8 So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over 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 Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t wait.
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 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children’s children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.
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 There I will provide for you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have.”’
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 You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father down here.”
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 He fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, 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 He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.
And then as he kissed his older brothers [on their cheeks], he cried. After that, his brothers started to talk with him.
16 The report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
Someone went to the palace and told the news that Joseph’s brothers had come. The king and all his officials were pleased.
17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals, and go, travel to the land of Canaan.
The king said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers this: ‘Put loads of grain on your animals and return to the Canaan region.
18 Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat 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 Now you are commanded to do this: Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring 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 Also, don’t concern yourselves about your belongings, for the good of all the land of Egypt is 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 The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
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 He gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.
To each of them he gave new clothes, but he gave 300 pieces of silver and five sets of new clothes to Benjamin!
23 He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way.
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 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “See that you don’t quarrel on the way.”
Then he sent his brothers on their way, saying to them “Do not quarrel along the way!”
25 They went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.
So they left Egypt and came to their father Jacob in Canaan.
26 They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t 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 They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, 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 Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still 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!”
