< 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.
And Joseph could not restrain himself before all who were stationed near him, so he cried out—Have forth every man from me! And there stood no man with him, when 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.
Then gave he forth his voice in weeping, —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.
Then said Joseph unto his brethren: I, am Joseph, is my father yet alive? But his brethren could not answer him, for they were terrified because of him.
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 said Joseph unto his brethren—Draw near I pray you, unto me. And they drew 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.
But, now, do not grieve, neither let it be vexing in your eyes, that ye sold me hither, —for, to save life, did God send me before you.
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 midst of the land, —and, yet five years, are there, in which there shall be neither ploughing, 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.
So then God sent me before you, to plant for you a remainder in the earth, —and to save you alive, 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.
Now, therefore it was not ye, who sent me hither, but, God, himself, —who also appointed me to be a father to Pharaoh, and a lord to all his house, and a 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.
Haste ye and go up unto my father, then shall ye say unto him—Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath appointed me lord to all Egypt, —come down unto 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.
so shalt thou dwell in the land of Goshen, and shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy sons, and thy sons’ sons, —and thy flocks and thy herds and all that is thine;
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.’”
so will I sustain thee, there, for there are yet five years of famine, —lest thou come to poverty—thou and thy house and all who are thine.
12 Then Joseph told his brothers, “You can all see for yourselves—including my brother Benjamin—that it's really me talking to you!
Now lo! your own eyes do see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, —that it is my own mouth, that doth speak 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!”
As soon as ye have told my father all my honour in Egypt, and all that ye have seen, so soon shall ye hasten and bring down my father hither.
14 He hugged Benjamin, and Benjamin hugged him back. They both wept for joy.
Then fell he upon the neck of Benjamin his brother, and wept, —and Benjamin wept on his neck.
15 He kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers were able to start talking with him.
Then kissed he all his brethren, and wept upon them, —and, thereafter, his brethren spake 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, was heard by the house of Pharaoh, saying, The brethren of Joseph have come in, And it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all 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.
So then Pharaoh said unto Joseph—Say unto thy brethren This, do, —lade your asses, and go enter into 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 fetch your father and your households and come in unto me, —that I may give you the best of the land of Egypt, and eat ye 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.
Thou, therefore command them, This, do ye, —Take you out of the land of Egypt, waggons for your little ones and for your wives, so shall ye bring your father and come in.
20 Don't worry about bringing your possessions because the best of all Egypt is yours.’”
Your eye, moreover, let it not look with pity upon your goods, —for, the best of all 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.
And the sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them waggons, at the bidding of Pharaoh, —and gave them provisions 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, gave he to each man changes of raiment, —but, to Benjamin, he gave three hundred pieces 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.
Moreover, to his father, sent he as followeth—ten he-asses, laden from the best of Egypt, —and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread and nourishing food for his father for the way.
24 Then he saw his brothers off, and as they left he told them, “Don't argue on the way!”
Thus sent he forth his brethren and they departed, —and he said unto them, Do not fall 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, yea, indeed, he, is ruler in all the land of Egypt. And his heart became faint, 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.
So they spake unto him all the words of Joseph which he had spoken unto them h then saw he the waggons, which Joseph had sent to carry him, —and 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, Enough! Joseph my son is, yet alive, I must go and see him before I die!

< Genesis 45 >