Genesis 45

Joseph Revealed to His Brothers

1Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him #Acts 7:13while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2And he #Gen. 43:30; 46:29wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.

3Then Joseph said to his brothers, #Gen. 43:27; Acts 7:13“I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, #Gen. 37:28; 39:1; Ps. 105:17whom you sold into Egypt. 5But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; #Gen. 45:7, 8; 50:20; Ps. 105:16, 17for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6For these two years the #Gen. 43:1; 47:4, 13famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7And God #Gen. 45:5; 50:20sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8So now it was not you who sent me here, but #(Rom. 8:28)God; and He has made me #Judg. 17:10; Is. 22:21a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a #Gen. 41:43; 42:6ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

9“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. 10#Gen. 46:28, 34; 47:1, 6; Ex. 9:26You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11There I will #Gen. 47:12provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’

12“And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is #Gen. 42:23my mouth that speaks to you. 13So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and #Gen. 46:6–28; Acts 7:14bring my father down here.”

14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15Moreover he #Gen. 48:10kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.

16Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat #Gen. 27:28; 47:6; Deut. 32:9–14the fat of the land. 19Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. 20Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

21Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them #Gen. 45:19; 46:5carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22He gave to all of them, to each man, #2 Kin. 5:5changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and #Gen. 43:34five changes of garments. 23And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. 24So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”

25Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” #Job 29:24; Ps. 126:1; Luke 24:11, 41And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. 27But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit #Judg. 15:19; Is. 40:29of Jacob their father revived. 28Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

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Genesis 45

Joseph Tells His Brothers Who He Is

1 # Ac 7.13. Since Joseph could no longer control his feelings in front of his servants, he sent them out of the room. When he was alone with his brothers, he told them, “I am Joseph.” 2Then he cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him and told about it in the king's#45.2 the king: See the note at 12.15. palace.

3Joseph asked his brothers if his father was still alive, but they were too frightened to answer. 4Joseph told them to come closer to him, and when they did, he said:

Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. 5Don't worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.

6There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plow fields or harvest grain. 7But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way. 8After all, you weren't really the ones who sent me here—it was God. He made me the highest official in the king's court and placed me over all Egypt.

9 # Ac 7.14. Now hurry back and tell my father that his son Joseph says, “God has made me ruler of Egypt. Come here as quickly as you can. 10You will live near me in the region of Goshen with your children and grandchildren, as well as with your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. 11I will take care of you there during the next five years of famine. But if you don't come, you and your family and your animals will starve to death.”

12All of you, including my brother Benjamin, can tell by what I have said that I really am Joseph. 13Tell my father about my great power here in Egypt and about everything you have seen. Hurry and bring him here.

14Joseph and Benjamin hugged each other and started crying. 15Joseph was still crying as he kissed each of his other brothers. After this, they started talking with Joseph.

16When it was told in the palace that Joseph's brothers had come, the king and his officials were happy. 17So the king said to Joseph:

Tell your brothers to load their donkeys and return to Canaan. 18Tell them to bring their father and their families here. I will give them the best land in Egypt, and they can eat and enjoy everything that grows there. 19Also tell your brothers to take some wagons from Egypt for their wives and children to ride in. And be sure they bring their father. 20They can leave their possessions behind, because they will be given the best of everything in Egypt.

21Jacob's sons agreed to do what the king had said. And Joseph gave them wagons and food for their trip home, just as the king had ordered. 22Joseph gave some new clothes to each of his brothers, but to Benjamin he gave five new outfits and 300 pieces of silver. 23To his father he sent ten donkeys loaded with the best things in Egypt, and ten other donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other food for the return trip. 24Then he sent his brothers off and told them, “Don't argue on the way home!”

25Joseph's brothers left Egypt, and when they arrived in Canaan, 26they told their father that Joseph was still alive and was the ruler of Egypt. But their father was so surprised that he could not believe them. 27Then they told him everything Joseph had said. When he saw the wagons Joseph had sent, he felt much better 28and said, “Now I can believe you! My son Joseph must really be alive, and I will get to see him before I die.”

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)

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