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.
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.
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.
But he cried so loudly that the Egyptians could hear him, and they told Pharaoh's household about it.
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.
“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.
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!
“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.
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.
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.
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.
The country has suffered from famine for two years already, but there will be five more years with no plowing or reaping.
7 But God sent me here ahead of you, to keep you from starving, and to make sure that your descendants will survive.
God sent me ahead of you to make sure you would still have descendants, to save your lives in this miraculous way.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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]”’
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.’”
12 “Look closely, and all of you can see, including my brother Benjamin, that it is really I, Joseph, who am speaking to you.
Then Joseph told his brothers, “You can all see for yourselves—including my brother Benjamin—that it's really me talking to you!
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!”
Tell my father how much I'm respected in Egypt. Tell him everything that you've seen. Hurry! Bring my father here quickly!”
14 Then he threw his arms around his [younger] brother Benjamin’s neck and cried. And Benjamin hugged him and cried.
He hugged Benjamin, and Benjamin hugged him back. They both wept for joy.
15 And then as he kissed his older brothers [on their cheeks], he cried. After that, his brothers started to talk with him.
He kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers were able to start talking with him.
16 Someone went to the palace and told the news that Joseph’s brothers had come. The king and all his officials were pleased.
Word soon reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had arrived. Pharaoh and his officials were glad to hear the news.
17 The king said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers this: ‘Put loads of grain on your animals and return to the Canaan region.
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.
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.’
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.’
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.
Tell them to do this as well, ‘Take some wagons from Egypt for your children and your wives. Bring them and your father here.
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.’”
Don't worry about bringing your possessions because the best of all Egypt is yours.’”
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.
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.
22 To each of them he gave new clothes, but he gave 300 pieces of silver and five sets of new clothes to Benjamin!
He gave each of them new clothes. But to Benjamin he gave five sets of clothes and 300 pieces of silver.
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.
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.
24 Then he sent his brothers on their way, saying to them “Do not quarrel along the way!”
Then he saw his brothers off, and as they left he told them, “Don't argue on the way!”
25 So they left Egypt and came to their father Jacob in Canaan.
So they left Egypt and went back home to their father Jacob in the country of Canaan.
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.
“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!
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.
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.
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!”
Israel said, “All right, I believe you! My son Joseph is still alive! I'm going to go and see him before I die.”
