Genesis 45
45
Joseph Reveals His Identity
1Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.
3“I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 4“Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.#45:7 Or and to save you with an extraordinary rescue. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. 8So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser#45:8 Hebrew a father. to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.
9“Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! 10You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. 11I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’”
12Then Joseph added, “Look! You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph! 13Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly.” 14Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. 15Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him.
Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt
16The news soon reached Pharaoh’s palace: “Joseph’s brothers have arrived!” Pharaoh and his officials were all delighted to hear this.
17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan. 18Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.’”
19Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt to carry your little children and your wives, and bring your father here. 20Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21So the sons of Jacob#45:21 Hebrew Israel; also in 45:28. See note on 35:21. did as they were told. Joseph provided them with wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. 22And he gave each of them new clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and 300 pieces#45:22 Hebrew 300 [shekels], about 7.5 pounds or 3.4 kilograms in weight. of silver. 23He also sent his father ten male donkeys loaded with the finest products of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies he would need on his journey.
24So Joseph sent his brothers off, and as they left, he called after them, “Don’t quarrel about all this along the way!” 25And they left Egypt and returned to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan.
26“Joseph is still alive!” they told him. “And he is governor of all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn’t believe it. 27But when they repeated to Jacob everything Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, their father’s spirits revived.
28Then Jacob exclaimed, “It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I must go and see him before I die.”
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Genesis 45: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Genesis 45
45
1Then Ioseph could not refraine him selfe before all that stoode by him, but hee cryed, Haue forth euery man from me. And there taryed not one with him, while Ioseph vttered himselfe vnto his brethren. 2And hee wept and cried, so that the Egyptians heard: the house of Pharaoh heard also. 3Then Ioseph sayde to his brethren, I am Ioseph: doeth my father yet liue? But his brethren coulde not answere him, for they were astonished at his presence. 4Againe, Ioseph sayde to his brethren, Come neere, I pray you, to mee. And they came neere. And he sayde, I am Ioseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5Nowe therefore be not sad, neither grieued with your selues, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you for your preseruation. 6For nowe two yeeres of famine haue bene through ye land, and fiue yeeres are behind, wherein neither shalbe earing nor haruest. 7Wherefore God sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land, and to saue you aliue by a great deliuerance. 8Now the you sent not me hither, but God, who hath made mee a father vnto Pharaoh, and lorde of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9Haste you and go vp to my father, and tel him, Thus saieth thy sonne Ioseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come downe to me, tary not. 10And thou shalt dwel in ye land of Goshen, and shalt be neere me, thou and thy children, and thy childrens children, and thy sheepe, and thy beastes, and all that thou hast. 11Also I will nourish thee there (for yet remaine fiue yeeres of famine) lest thou perish through pouertie, thou and thy houshold, and all that thou hast. 12And behold, your eyes doe see, and the eyes of my brother Beniamin, that my mouth speaketh to you. 13Therefore tel my father of al mine honour in Egypt, and of all that ye haue seene, and make haste, and bring my father hither. 14Then hee fell on his brother Beniamins necke, and wept, and Beniamin wept on his necke. 15Moreouer, he kissed all his brethren, and wept vpon them: and afterwarde his brethren talked with him. 16And the tidinges came vnto Pharaohs house, so that they said, Iosephs brethre are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his seruants. 17Then Pharaoh said vnto Ioseph, Say to thy brethren, This doe ye, lade your beastes and depart, go to the land of Canaan, 18And take your father, and your houshoulds, and come to me, and I wil giue you the best of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eate of the fat of the land. 19And I commaund thee, Thus doe ye, take you charets out of the lande of Egypt for your children, and for your wiues, and bring your father and come. 20Also regarde not your stuffe: for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours. 21And the children of Israel did so: and Ioseph gaue them charets according to the commandement of Pharaoh: hee gaue them vitaile also for the iourney. 22He gaue them all, none except, change of raiment: but vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundreth pieces of siluer, and fiue sutes of raiment. 23And vnto his father likewise hee sent ten hee asses laden with the best things of Egypt, and ten shee asses laden with wheate, and bread and meate for his father by the way. 24So sent he his brethren away, and they departed: and he sayde vnto them, Fall not out by the way. 25Then they went vp from Egypt, and came vnto the land of Canaan vnto Iaakob their father, 26And tolde him, saying, Ioseph is yet aliue, and he also is gouernour ouer all the lande of Egypt, and Iaakobs heart failed: for he beleeued them not. 27And they told him al the words of Ioseph, which he had said vnto the: but when he saw the charets, which Ioseph had sent to cary him, then the spirit of Iaakob their father reuiued. 28And Israel said, I haue inough: Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue: I will go and see him yer I die.
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