Genesis 45

Joseph Deals Kindly with His Brothers

1Then Joseph could not control himself in front of everyone standing before him, and he shouted, “Have everyone leave me!” So there #45:1 Lit stoodwas no one with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2Then he #45:2 Lit gave forth his voice in weepingwept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard about it. 3And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified in his presence.

4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come #45:4 Lit nearcloser to me.” And they came #45:4 Lit nearcloser. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold to Egypt. 5Now do not be grieved or angry #45:5 Lit in your eyeswith yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you #45:5 Lit for preservation of lifeto save lives. 6For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7So God sent me ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on the earth, and to #45:7 As in MT; another reading (cf. LXX) keep alive for you a great remnantkeep you alive by a great deliverance. 8Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9Hurry and go up 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, do not delay. 10For you shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your #45:10 Lit children’s childrengrandchildren, and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.” ’ 12Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15And he kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

16Now when the #45:16 Lit voicenews was heard in Pharaoh’s house #45:16 Lit saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come”that Joseph’s brothers had come, it #45:16 Lit was good in the eyes ofpleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your livestock and #45:17 Lit come, gogo to the land of Canaan, 18and take your father and your households and come to me; and I will give you the #45:18 Lit goodbest of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: #45:19 Lit take for yourselvestake wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20And do not #45:20 Lit let your eye look with regret upon your vesselsconcern yourselves with your property, for the #45:20 Lit goodbest of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

21Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the #45:21 Lit mouthcommand of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22To #45:22 Lit all of them he gave each maneach of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. 23And to his father he sent #45:23 Lit like thisthe following: ten male donkeys loaded with the #45:23 Lit goodbest things of Egypt, ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and sustenance for his father #45:23 Lit foron the journey.

24So he sent his brothers away, and #45:24 Lit they departed; and he saidas they departed, he said to them, “Do not #45:24 Lit be agitatedquarrel on the journey.” 25Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob. 26And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But #45:26 Lit his heart grew numbhe was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, then the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28Then Israel said, “It is enough; my son Joseph 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.”

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