B'resheet (Gen) 45
45
1At last Yosef could no longer control his feelings in front of his attendants and cried, “Get everybody away from me!” So no one else was with him when Yosef revealed to his brothers who he was. 2He wept aloud, and the Egyptians heard, and Pharaoh’s household heard. 3Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef! Is it true that my father is still alive?” His brothers couldn’t answer him, they were so dumbfounded at seeing him. 4Yosef said to his brothers, “Please! Come closer.” And they came closer. He said, “I am Yosef, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5But don’t be sad that you sold me into slavery here or angry at yourselves, because it was God who sent me ahead of you to preserve life. 6The famine has been over the land for the last two years, and for yet another five years there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7God sent me ahead of you to ensure that you will have descendants on earth and to save your lives in a great deliverance. (iii) 8So it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his household and ruler over the whole land of Egypt. 9Hurry, go up to my father, and tell him, ‘Here is what your son Yosef says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt! Come down to me, don’t delay! 10You will live in the land of Goshen and be near me — you, your children, your grandchildren, flocks, herds, everything you own. 11I will provide for you there, so that you won’t become poverty-stricken, you, your household and all that you have; because five years of famine are yet to come.”’ 12Here! Your own eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Binyamin, that it is my own mouth speaking to you. 13Tell my father how honored I am in Egypt and everything you have seen, and quickly bring my father down here!” 14Then he embraced his brother Binyamin and wept, and Binyamin wept on his neck, 15and he kissed all his brothers and wept on them. After that, his brothers talked with him.
16The report of this reached Pharaoh’s house: “Yosef’s brothers have come”; and Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17Pharaoh said to Yosef, “Tell your brothers, ‘Here is what you are to do. Load up your animals, go to the land of Kena‘an, 18take your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you good property in Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.
(iv) 19“‘Moreover — and this is an order — do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt to carry your little ones and your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20Don’t worry about your stuff, because everything good in the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21The sons of Isra’el acted accordingly; and Yosef gave them wagons, as Pharaoh had ordered, and gave them provisions for their journey. 22To each of them he gave a set of new clothes; but to Binyamin he gave seven-and-a-half pounds of silver and five sets of new clothes. 23Likewise, to his father he sent ten donkeys loaded with the finest goods Egypt produced, as well as ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread and food for his father to eat on the return journey. 24Thus he sent his brothers on their way, and they left; he said to them, “Don’t quarrel among yourselves while you’re traveling!”
25So they went up out of Egypt, entered the land of Kena‘an and came to Ya‘akov their father. 26They told him, “Yosef is still alive! He is ruler over the whole land of Egypt!” He was stunned at the news; he couldn’t believe them. 27So they reported to him everything Yosef had said to them; but it was only when he saw the wagons which Yosef had sent to carry him that the spirit of Ya‘akov their father began to revive. (v) 28Isra’el said, “Enough! My son Yosef is still alive! I must go and see him before I die.”
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleGenesis 45
45
Joseph Tells His Brothers Who He Is
1Joseph couldn’t control himself anymore in front of all his attendants. He cried out, “Have everyone leave me!” So there wasn’t anyone with Joseph when he told his brothers who he was. 2He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him. Everyone in Pharaoh’s house heard about it.
3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers weren’t able to answer him. They were too afraid of him.
4Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” So they did. Then he said, “I am your brother Joseph. I’m the one you sold into Egypt. 5But don’t be upset. And don’t be angry with yourselves because you sold me here. God sent me ahead of you to save many lives. 6For two years now, there hasn’t been enough food in the land. And for the next five years, people won’t be plowing or gathering crops. 7But God sent me ahead of you to keep some of you alive on earth. He sent me here to save your lives by an act of mighty power.
8“So then, it wasn’t you who sent me here. It was God. He made me like a father to Pharaoh. He made me master of Pharaoh’s entire house. God made me ruler of the whole land of Egypt. 9Now hurry back to my father. Say to him, ‘Your son Joseph says, “God has made me master of the whole land of Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t waste any time. 10You will live in the area of Goshen. You, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you have will be near me. 11There I will provide everything you need. There are still five years to come when there won’t be enough food. If you don’t come down here, you and your family and everyone who belongs to you will lose everything.” ’
12“My brothers, I am Joseph. You can see for yourselves that I am the one speaking to you. My brother Benjamin can see it too. 13Tell my father about all the honor given to me in Egypt. Tell him about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”
14Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept. Benjamin also hugged him and wept. 15Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After that, his brothers talked with him.
16The news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come. Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. 17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Here’s what I want you to tell your brothers. Say to them, ‘Load your animals. Return to the land of Canaan. 18Bring your father and your families back to me. I’ll give you the best land in Egypt. You can enjoy all the good things in the land.’
19“And here’s something else I want you to tell them. Say to them, ‘Take some carts from Egypt. Your children and your wives can use them. Get your father and come back. 20Don’t worry about the things you have back there. The best of everything in Egypt will belong to you.’ ”
21Then the sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded. He also gave them supplies for their journey. 22He gave new clothes to each of them. But he gave Benjamin more than seven pounds of silver. He also gave him five sets of clothes. 23He sent his father ten male donkeys loaded with the best things from Egypt. He also sent ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies for his journey. 24Then Joseph sent his brothers away. As they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t argue on the way!”
25So they went up out of Egypt. They came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of the whole land of Egypt.” Jacob was shocked. He didn’t believe them. 27So they told him everything Joseph had said to them. Jacob saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back. That gave new life to their father Jacob. 28Israel said, “I believe it now! My son Joseph is still alive. I’ll go and see him before I die.”
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