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 Reveals Who He Is

1Joseph could not control himself in front of his servants any longer, so he cried out, “Have everyone leave me.” When only the brothers were left with Joseph, he told them who he was. 2Joseph cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and the people in the king’s palace heard about it. 3He said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But the brothers could not answer him, because they were very afraid of him.

4So Joseph said to them, “Come close to me.” When the brothers came close to him, he said to them, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold as a slave to go to Egypt. 5Now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. God sent me here ahead of you to save people’s lives. 6No food has grown on the land for two years now, and there will be five more years without planting or harvest. 7So God sent me here ahead of you to make sure you have some descendants left on earth and to keep you alive in an amazing way. 8So it was not you who sent me here, but God. God has made me the highest officer of the king of Egypt. I am in charge of his palace, and I am the master of all the land of Egypt.

9“So leave quickly and go to my father. Tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all Egypt. Come down to me quickly. 10Live in the land of Goshen where you will be near me. Your children, your grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all that you have will also be near me. 11I will care for you during the next five years of hunger so that you and your family and all that you have will not starve.’

12“Now you can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that the one speaking to you is really Joseph. 13So tell my father about how powerful I have become in Egypt. Tell him about everything you have seen. Now hurry and bring him back to me.” 14Then Joseph hugged his brother Benjamin and cried, and Benjamin cried also. 15And Joseph kissed all his brothers and cried as he hugged them. After this, his brothers talked with him.

16When the king of Egypt and his officers learned that Joseph’s brothers had come, they were very happy. 17So the king said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers to load their animals and go back to the land of Canaan 18and bring their father and their families back here to me. I will give them the best land in Egypt, and they will eat the best food we have here. 19Tell them to take some wagons from Egypt for their children and their wives and to bring their father back also. 20Tell them not to worry about bringing any of their things with them, because we will give them the best of what we have in Egypt.”

21So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as the king had ordered and food for their trip. 22He gave each brother a change of clothes, but he gave Benjamin five changes of clothes and about seven and one-half pounds of silver. 23Joseph also sent his father ten donkeys loaded with the best things from Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other food for his father on his trip back. 24Then Joseph told his brothers to go. As they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way home.”

25So the brothers left Egypt and went to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26They told him, “Joseph is still alive and is the ruler over all the land of Egypt.” Their father was shocked and did not believe them. 27But when the brothers told him everything Joseph had said, and when Jacob saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him back to Egypt, he felt better. 28Israel said, “Now I believe you. My son Joseph is still alive, and I will go and see him before I die.”

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Genesis 45

Genesis 45