Genesis 45
45
Joseph Reveals His Identity
1Joseph could no longer control his emotions in front of everyone who was standing around him, so he cried out, “Have everyone leave me!” No one else was there when Joseph told his brothers who he was. 2He cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him because they were afraid of him.
4“Please come closer to me,” Joseph said to his brothers. When they did so, he said, “I am Joseph, the brother you sold into slavery in Egypt! 5Now, don’t be sad or angry with yourselves that you sold me. God sent me ahead of you to save lives. 6The famine has been in the land for two years. There will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7God sent me ahead of you to make sure that you would have descendants on the earth and to save your lives in an amazing way. 8It wasn’t you who sent me here, but God. He has made me ⌞like⌟ a father to Pharaoh, lord over his entire household, and ruler of Egypt.
9“Hurry back to my father, and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of Egypt. Come here to me right away! 10Live in the land of Goshen, where you will be near me. Live there with your children and your grandchildren, as well as your flocks, your herds, and everything you have. 11I will provide for you in Egypt, since there will be five more years of famine. Then you, your family, and all who belong to you won’t lose everything.” ’
12“You and my brother Benjamin can see for yourselves that I am the one who is speaking to you. 13Tell my father how greatly honored I am in Egypt and about everything you have seen. Hurry and bring my father here!”
14He threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and cried with Benjamin, who was crying on his shoulder. 15He kissed all his brothers and cried with them. After that his brothers talked with him.
Pharaoh Invites Jacob’s [Israel’s] Family to Live in Egypt
16When Pharaoh’s household heard the news that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and his officials were pleased. 17So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Load up your animals, and go back to Canaan. 18Take your father and your families, and come to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt. Then you can enjoy the best food in the land.’
19“Give them this order: ‘Take wagons with you from Egypt for your children and your wives. Bring your father, and come back. 20Don’t worry about your belongings because the best of everything in Egypt is yours.’ ”
21Israel’s sons did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons and supplies for their trip as Pharaoh had ordered. 22He gave each of them a change of clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23He sent his father ten male donkeys carrying Egypt’s best products and ten female donkeys carrying grain, bread, and food for his father’s trip. 24So Joseph sent his brothers on their way. As they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on your way back!”
25So they left Egypt and came to their father Jacob in Canaan. 26They told him, “Joseph is still alive! Yes, he is ruler of Egypt.” Jacob was stunned and didn’t believe them. 27Yet, when they told their father everything Joseph had said to them and he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to bring him back, his spirits were lifted.
28“You have convinced me!” Israel said. “My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Genesis 45
45
1Joseph couldn't control his emotions any longer while all his attendants were there, so he shouted out, “Everybody leave me!” So there was nobody else there when Joseph revealed who he was to his brothers. 2But he cried so loudly that the Egyptians could hear him, and they told Pharaoh's household about it.
3“I'm Joseph!” he announced to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” They couldn't answer him as they were so surprised to see him face to face.
4“Please come closer to me,” he told his brothers. They came over to him. “I'm your brother Joseph who you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5But don't be worried or get angry with yourselves that you sold me to be a slave here, because it was God who sent me ahead of you to save lives. 6The country has suffered from famine for two years already, but there will be five more years with no plowing or reaping. 7God sent me ahead of you to make sure you would still have descendants, to save your lives in this miraculous way.#45:7. “In this miraculous way”: or “with many survivors.” 8So it wasn't you who sent me here, but God. He was the one who made me Pharaoh's chief advisor#45:8. “Pharaoh's chief advisor”: literally, “a father to Pharaoh.” in charge of all his affairs, and ruler of the whole country of Egypt.
9Now hurry! Go back to my father and tell him, ‘This message comes from your son Joseph: God has made me the ruler of the whole of Egypt. Come to me now; don't wait. 10You'll live in the land of Goshen so you can be close to me with your children and grandchildren, and with your flocks and herds and everything that belongs to you. 11I'll make sure you have food, because there are still five more years of famine to come. Otherwise you and your family and your animals are going to starve.’”
12Then Joseph told his brothers,#45:12. “Then Joseph told his brothers”: supplied for clarity to show that Joseph is now addressing his brothers directly again. “You can all see for yourselves—including my brother Benjamin—that it's really me talking to you! 13Tell my father how much I'm respected in Egypt. Tell him everything that you've seen. Hurry! Bring my father here quickly!” 14He hugged Benjamin, and Benjamin hugged him back. They both wept for joy. 15He kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers were able to start talking with him.
16Word soon reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had arrived. Pharaoh and his officials were glad to hear the news.
17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you are to do: Load your donkeys with grain and go back to the country of Canaan. 18Then bring your father and your families and return here to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt, and you shall eat the best food the country has to offer.’
19Tell them to do this as well: ‘Take some wagons from Egypt for your children and your wives. Bring them and your father here. 20Don't worry about bringing your possessions because the best of all Egypt is yours.’”
21So that's what the sons of Israel did. Joseph provided them with wagons, as Pharaoh had ordered. He also gave them supplies for their journey. 22He gave each of them new clothes. But to Benjamin he gave five sets of clothes and 300 pieces of silver. 23Joseph also sent to his father the following: ten donkeys carrying the best things from Egypt, and ten female donkeys carrying grain and bread and supplies needed for his father's journey.
24Then he saw his brothers off, and as they left he told them, “Don't argue on the way!” 25So they left Egypt and went back home to their father Jacob in the country of Canaan.
26“Joseph's still alive!” they told him. “It's true, and he's the ruler of the whole country of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned at the news—he just couldn't believe it! 27But when they told him everything that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to take him to Egypt, Jacob came back to his senses. 28Israel said, “All right, I believe you! My son Joseph is still alive! I'm going to go and see him before I die.”
Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com