Genesis 45
45
Joseph Tells Who He Is
1Joseph could not control himself any longer. He cried in front of all the people who were there. Joseph said, “Tell everyone to leave here.” So all the people left. Only the brothers were left with Joseph. Then he told them who he was. 2Joseph continued to cry, and all the Egyptian people in Pharaoh’s house heard it. 3He said to his brothers, “I am your brother Joseph. Is my father doing well?” But the brothers did not answer him because they were confused and afraid.
4So Joseph said to his brothers again, “Come here to me. I beg you, come here.” When the brothers went to him, he said to them, “I am your brother Joseph. I am the one you sold as a slave to Egypt. 5Now don’t be worried. Don’t be angry with yourselves for what you did. It was God’s plan for me to come here. I am here to save people’s lives. 6This terrible famine has continued for two years now, and there will be five more years without planting or harvest. 7So God sent me here ahead of you so that I can save your people in this country. 8It was not your fault that I was sent here. It was God’s plan. God made me like a father to Pharaoh. I am the governor over all his house and over all Egypt.”
Israel Invited to Egypt
9Joseph said, “Hurry up and go to my father. Tell him his son Joseph sent this message: ‘God made me the governor of Egypt. So come here to me quickly. Don’t wait. 10You can live near me in the land of Goshen. You, your children, your grandchildren, and all of your animals are welcome here. 11I will take care of you during the next five years of hunger. So you and your family will not lose everything you own.’
12“Surely you can see that I really am Joseph. Even my brother Benjamin knows it is me, your brother, talking to you. 13So tell my father about the honor I have received here in Egypt. Tell him about everything you have seen here. Now hurry, go bring my father back to me.” 14Then Joseph hugged his brother Benjamin, and they both began crying. 15Then Joseph cried as he kissed all his brothers. After this, the brothers began talking with him.
16Pharaoh learned that Joseph’s brothers had come to him. This news spread throughout Pharaoh’s house. Pharaoh and his servants were very excited! 17So Pharaoh told Joseph, “Tell your brothers to take all the food they need and go back to the land of Canaan. 18Tell them to bring your father and their families back here to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt to live on. And your family can eat the best food we have here. 19Also give your brothers some of our best wagons. Tell them to go to Canaan and bring your father and all the women and children back in the wagons. 20Don’t worry about bringing all of their belongings. We can give them the best of Egypt.”
21So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them good wagons just as Pharaoh had promised. And Joseph gave them enough food for their trip. 22He gave each brother a suit of beautiful clothes. But to Benjamin he gave five suits of beautiful clothes and 300 pieces of silver. 23Joseph also sent gifts to his father. He sent ten donkeys with bags full of many good things from Egypt. And he sent ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other food for his father on his trip back. 24Then Joseph told his brothers to go. While they were leaving, he said to them, “Go straight home, and don’t fight on the way.”
25So the brothers left Egypt and went to their father in the land of Canaan. 26They told him, “Father, Joseph is still alive! And he is the governor over the whole country of Egypt.”
Their father did not know what to think. At first he didn’t believe them. 27But then they told him everything Joseph had said. Then their father saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to bring him back to Egypt, and he became excited and very happy. 28Israel said, “Now I believe you. My son Joseph is still alive! I am going to see him before I die!”
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Genesis 45
45
Joseph Reveals His Identity
1Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants, # Lit all those standing about him so he called out, “Send everyone away from me! ” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. # Ac 7:13 2But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. 3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living? ” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.
4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. # Gn 37:18-36 5And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. # Gn 45:7-8; 50:20; Ps 105:17 6For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. # Or keep alive for you many survivors 8Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9“Return quickly 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 without delay. 10You can settle in the land of Goshen # Gn 46:34; 47:1,4,6,11,27; 50:8; Ex 8:22; Jos 10:41 and be near me — you, your children, and grandchildren, your sheep, cattle, and all you have. 11There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.” ’ # Gn 47:12; 50:21 12Look! Your eyes and my brother Benjamin’s eyes can see that it is I , Joseph, who am # Lit that my mouth is speaking to you. 13Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.” # Ac 7:14
14Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. 15Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept, # Lit brothers, and he wept over them and afterward his brothers talked with him.
The Return for Jacob
16When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan. 18Get your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you can eat from the richness of the land.’ 19You are also commanded, ‘Do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your young children and your wives and bring your father here. # Gn 46:5 20Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ” # Dt 32:9-14
21The sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22He gave each of the brothers changes of clothes, # 2Kg 5:5 but he gave Benjamin 300 pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. # Gn 43:34 23He sent his father the following: 10 donkeys carrying the best products of Egypt and 10 female donkeys carrying grain, food, and provisions for his father on the journey. 24So Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t argue on the way.”
25So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt! ” Jacob was stunned, # Lit Jacob’s heart was numb for he did not believe them. 27But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
28Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”
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