Genesis 45
45
Joseph Reveals His Identity
1Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make every man go out from me.” So no man stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2He wept so loudly that the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard about it.
3#Ac 7:13Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.
4#Ge 37:28Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me,” and they came near. Then he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5#Ge 50:20; 45:7–8Now do not be upset or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6#Ex 34:21; Dt 21:4For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7God sent me ahead of you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8#Jdg 17:10“So now it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of his entire household and a ruler throughout 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. 10#Ex 8:22And you will dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, along with your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11#Ge 47:12I will provide for you there, for there are still five years of famine to come, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty.” ’
12#Ge 42:23“Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that is speaking to you. 13#Ac 7:14You must tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and of 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. 15#Lk 15:20Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.
16When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this. Load your animals and go to the land of Canaan. 18#Ge 27:28; 47:6Get your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’
19#Ge 46:5; 45:27“You are also commanded to say, ‘Do this: Take your wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and get your father and come. 20Also do not concern yourself with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21#Ge 45:19So the sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22#Ge 43:34; 2Ki 5:5To each of them he gave a change of clothes, but he gave to Benjamin three hundred shekels of silver#About 71/2 pounds, or 3.5 kilograms. and five changes of clothes. 23To his father he sent the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provisions for his father on the journey. 24#Ge 42:21–22So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”
25They went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26#Ge 37:35; 44:28They told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still because he could not believe them. 27#Ge 45:19They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28Then Israel said, “Enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
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Genesis 45: MEV
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Military Bible Association
Genesis 45
45
Joseph tells his brothers who he is
1Since 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.”#Ac 7.13. 2Then he cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him and told about it in the king's#45.2 the king's: 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 plough 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.
9Now 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.#Ac 7.14. 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. 18They must 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 on it. 19Also tell your brothers to take some wagons from Egypt for their wives and children to ride in. And they must be sure to 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 three hundred 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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