Genesis 45

CHAPTER 45

1Joseph might no longer abstain himself, while many men stood there before him; wherefore he commanded that all men should go out, and that none alien were present in the knowing of Joseph and his brethren.

2And Joseph raised up his voice with weeping, which the Egyptians heard, and all the household of Pharaoh.

3And he said to his brethren, I am Joseph; liveth my father yet? His brethren might not answer, and were aghast with full much dread.

4To whom Joseph said meekly, Cometh nigh to me. And when they had nighed nigh, he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt;

5do not ye dread, neither seem it to be hard to you, that ye sold me into these countries; for God hath sent me before you into Egypt for your health.

6For it is two years that hunger began to be in the land, yet five more years shall pursue, in which men shall not be able to ear, neither reap;

7and God before-sent me, that ye be kept alive on earth, and may have meats to live.

8I was sent hither not by your counsel, but by God’s will, which hath made me as the father of Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and prince in all the land of Egypt.

9Haste ye, and goeth up to my father, and ye shall say to him, Thy son Joseph sendeth these things to thee; God hath made me lord of all the land of Egypt; come down here to me, and tarry not,

10and dwell in the land of Goshen; and thou shalt be beside me, thou, and thy sons, and the sons of thy sons, thy sheep, and thy great beasts, and all things which thou wieldest,

11and there I shall feed thee; for yet five years of hunger be left, lest both thou perish, and thine house, and all things which thou wieldest.

12Lo! your eyes, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that my mouth speaketh to you;

13tell ye to my father all my glory, and all things which ye saw in Egypt; haste ye, and bring ye him to me.

14And when he had embraced, and felled into the neck of Benjamin, his brother, he wept, the while also Benjamin wept in like manner on the neck of Joseph.

15And Joseph kissed all his brethren, and wept on them all; after which things they were hardy to speak to him.

16And it was heard, and published by famous word in the king’s hall, The brethren of Joseph be come. And Pharaoh joyed, and all his household;

17and Pharaoh said to Joseph, that he should command his brethren, and say to them, Charge ye your beasts, and go ye into the land of Canaan,

18and take ye from thence your father, and your kindred, and come ye back to me; and I shall give you all the goods of Egypt, that ye eat the marrow of the land.

19Command thou also, that they take wains of the land of Egypt to the carriage of their little children, and wives, and say thou, Take ye your father, and haste ye in coming soon,

20neither leave ye anything of the appurtenance of your house, for all the riches of Egypt shall be yours.

21The sons of Israel did as it was commanded to them; to which Joseph gave wains, by the behest of Pharaoh, and meats in the way;

22and he commanded two stoles to be brought forth to each; forsooth he gave to Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver, with five of the best stoles;

23and he sent to his father so much of silver, and of clothes, and he added to them ten male asses, that should bear of the riches of Egypt, and so many female asses, bearing wheat and loaves in the way.

24Therefore he let go his brethren, and said to them going forth, Be ye not wroth in the way.

25Which went up from Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob;

26and they told to him, and said, Joseph, thy son, liveth, and he is lord in all the land of Egypt. And when this was heard, Jacob waked as of a grievous sleep; nevertheless he believed not to them.

27They told on the contrary to him all the order of the thing; and when Jacob had seen the wains, and all things which Joseph had sent, his spirit lived again,

28and he said, It sufficeth to me, if Joseph my son liveth yet; I shall go and see him before that I die.

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Genesis 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.”

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