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.
Then Joseph could not control himself before all the servants who stood by him. He said loudly, “Everyone must leave me.” So no servant stood by him when Joseph made himself known 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.
He wept loudly, the Egyptians heard it, and the house of Pharaoh heard of 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.
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him, for they were shocked in his presence.
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!
Then 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.
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.
Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves that you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.
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.
For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.
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 preserve you as a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.
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 now it was not you who sent me here but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, master of all his house, and ruler of all the land 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!
Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me master of all Egypt. Come down to me, do not delay.
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 will live in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.
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 will provide for you there, for there are still five years of famine, so that you do not come to poverty, you, your household, and all that you have.”'
12 “Look closely, and all of you can see, including my brother Benjamin, that it is really I, Joseph, who am speaking to you.
Look, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks 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!”
You will tell my father about all my honor in Egypt and of all that you have seen. You will hurry and bring my father down here.”
14 Then he threw his arms around his [younger] brother Benjamin’s neck and cried. And Benjamin hugged him and cried.
He hugged his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.
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. After that his brothers talked 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.
The news of the matter was told in Pharaoh's house: “Joseph's brothers have come.” It pleased Pharaoh and his servants very much.
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, “Say to your brothers, 'Do this: Load your animals and go to the land 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.’
Get your father and your households and come to me. I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.'
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.
Now you are commanded, 'Do this, take carts out of the land of Egypt for your children and for your wives. Get your father and come.
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.’”
Do not be concerned about your possessions, for the good of all the land of 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.
The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the 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!
To all of them he gave each man changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.
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.
For his father he sent this: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt; and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other supplies for his father for the journey.
24 Then he sent his brothers on their way, saying to them “Do not quarrel along the way!”
So he sent his brothers away and they left. He said to them, “See that you do not quarrel on the journey.”
25 So they left Egypt and came to their father Jacob in Canaan.
They went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.
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.
They told him saying “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart was astonished, for he could not believe what they told him.
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.
They told him all the words of Joseph that he had said to them. When Jacob saw the carts that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
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, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
