Genesis 45
45
Joseph Reveals His Identity
1Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants,#45:1 Lit all those standing about him so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers.#Ac 7:13 2But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. 3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.
4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt.#Gn 37:18–36 5And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.#Gn 45:7–8; 50:20; Ps 105:17 6For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.#45:7 Or keep alive for you many survivors 8Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9“Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. 10You can settle in the land of Goshen#Gn 46:34; 47:1,4,6,11,27; 50:8; Ex 8:22; Jos 10:41 and be near me — you, your children, and your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and all you have. 11There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.”’#Gn 47:12; 50:21 12Look! Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin can see that I’m#45:12 Lit that my mouth is the one speaking to you. 13Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.”#Ac 7:14
14Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. 15Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept,#45:15 Lit brothers, and he wept over them and afterward his brothers talked with him.
The Return for Jacob
16When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan. 18Get your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you can eat from the richness of the land.’ 19You are also commanded to tell them, ‘Do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your dependents and your wives and bring your father here.#Gn 46:5 20Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”#Dt 32:9–14
21The sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22He gave each of the brothers changes of clothes,#2Kg 5:5 but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes.#Gn 43:34 23He sent his father the following: ten donkeys carrying the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys carrying grain, food, and provisions for his father on the journey. 24So Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t argue#45:24 Or be anxious on the way.”
25So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned,#45:26 Lit Jacob’s heart was numb for he did not believe them. 27But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
28Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Berĕshith (Genesis) 45
45
1And Yosĕph was unable to restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he called out, “Have everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Yosĕph made himself known to his brothers.
2And he wept aloud, and the Mitsrites and the house of Pharaoh heard it.
3And Yosĕph said to his brothers, “I am Yosĕph, is my father still alive?” But his brothers were unable to answer him, for they trembled before him.
4Then Yosĕph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” And when they came near, he said, “I am Yosĕph your brother, whom you sold into Mitsrayim.
5“And now, do not be grieved nor displeased with yourselves because you sold me here, for Elohim sent me before you to preserve life.
6“For two years now the scarcity of food has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there is neither ploughing nor harvesting.
7“And Elohim sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to give life to you by a great escape.
8So then, you did not send me here, but Elohim. And He has set me for a father to Pharaoh, and master of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Mitsrayim.”
9Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Yosĕph, Elohim has made me master of all Mitsrayim. Come down to me, do not delay.
10“And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.
11“And I shall provide for you there, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty, because five years of scarcity of food are still to come.” ’
12“And look, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Binyamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you.
13“And you shall inform my father of all my esteem in Mitsrayim, and of all that you have seen. And you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”
14And he fell on his brother Binyamin’s neck and wept, and Binyamin wept on his neck.
15And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers spoke with him.
16And the report of it was heard by the house of Pharaoh, saying, “The brothers of Yosĕph have come.” And it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants.
17And Pharaoh said to Yosĕph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your beasts and go, enter the land of Kena‛an,
18and take your father and your households and come to me, and I give you the best of the land of Mitsrayim, and you eat the fat of the land.
19And you, you have been commanded, do this: Take wagons out of the land of Mitsrayim for your little ones and your wives. And you shall bring your father, and come.
20And do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Mitsrayim is yours.’ ”
21And the sons of Yisra’ĕl did so. And Yosĕph gave them wagons, according to the mouth of Pharaoh, and he gave them food for the journey.
22He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments, but to Binyamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.
23And he sent to his father this: ten donkeys loaded with the best of Mitsrayim, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, and bread, and food for his father for the journey.
24So he sent his brothers away, and they left. And he said to them, “Do not quarrel along the way.”
25And they went up out of Mitsrayim, and came to the land of Kena‛an to Ya‛aqoḇ their father.
26And they told him, saying, “Yosĕph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Mitsrayim.” And Ya‛aqoḇ’s heart ceased, for he did not believe them.
27But when they spoke to him all the words which Yosĕph had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons which Yosĕph had sent to transport him, the spirit of Ya‛aqoḇ their father revived.
28And Yisra’ĕl said, “Enough! My son Yosĕph is still alive. Let me go and see him before I die.”
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