< 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 no longer control himself before all those who stood before him, so he cried out, "Send everyone away from me." So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2 But he cried so loudly that the Egyptians could hear him, and they told Pharaoh's household about it.
And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the house of Pharaoh heard about it.
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.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers couldn't answer him, for they were terrified 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.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." So they moved closer. And he said, "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you 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.
Now do not be upset or angry with yourselves that you sold me here, 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 in the land these two years, and there will be five more years in which there will 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.
God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to save your lives 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.
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.
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.
Now 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. Do not delay.
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.
You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, and your children's children, and your flocks, and your herds, and everything that you have.
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.’”
There I will provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, otherwise you and your household and all that you have would become destitute.
12 Then Joseph told his brothers, “You can all see for yourselves—including my brother Benjamin—that it's really me talking to you!
Look, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth which is speaking 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!”
So you must tell my father about all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. But you must hurry and bring my father down here."
14 He hugged Benjamin, and Benjamin hugged him back. They both wept for joy.
Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder.
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 brothers and wept on them, and after that his brothers 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.
Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, "Joseph's brothers have come." It pleased Pharaoh 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 to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'Do this: Load your animals and go. Enter 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.’
Take your father and your families and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the richness 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 you are commanded, 'Do this: Take wagons from 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, do not worry about your possessions, for the best of all of the land of Egypt is 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.
So the sons of Israel did that. And Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey.
22 He gave each of them new clothes. But to Benjamin he gave five sets of clothes and 300 pieces of silver.
He gave to all of them, to each one, a change 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.
To his father he sent the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and food and provision for his father on the journey.
24 Then he saw his brothers off, and as they left he told them, “Don't argue on the way!”
So he sent his brothers off, and as they departed he said to them, "Do not be fearful on the journey."
25 So they left Egypt and went back home to their father Jacob in the country of Canaan.
So they went up out of Egypt and came into the land of Canaan to their father Jacob.
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 ruler over all the land of Egypt." But he was unmoved, because 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.
But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob 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.”
Then Israel said, "I'm convinced. My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."