Genesis 45
New Living Translation
Joseph Reveals His Identity
45 Joseph 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. 2 Then 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. 5 But 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. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.[a] 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser[b] 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! 10 You 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. 11 I 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.’”
12 Then Joseph added, “Look! You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph! 13 Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly.” 14 Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. 15 Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him.
Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt
16 The news soon reached Pharaoh’s palace: “Joseph’s brothers have arrived!” Pharaoh and his officials were all delighted to hear this.
17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan. 18 Then 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.’”
19 Then 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. 20 Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 So the sons of Jacob[c] did as they were told. Joseph provided them with wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. 22 And he gave each of them new clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and 300 pieces[d] of silver. 23 He 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.
24 So Joseph sent his brothers off, and as they left, he called after them, “Don’t quarrel about all this along the way!” 25 And 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. 27 But 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.
28 Then Jacob exclaimed, “It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I must go and see him before I die.”
Genesis 45
New American Standard Bible
Joseph Deals Kindly with His Brothers
45 Then Joseph could not control himself in front of everyone standing before him, and he shouted, “Have everyone leave me!” So there [a]was no one with him (A)when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 Then (B)he [b]wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard about it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “(C)I am Joseph! (D)Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for (E)they were terrified in his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come [c]closer to me.” And they came [d]closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you (F)sold to Egypt. 5 Now do not be grieved or angry [e]with yourselves because (G)you sold me here, for (H)God sent me ahead of you [f]to save lives. 6 For the famine has been in the land (I)these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 So (J)God sent me ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on the earth, and to [g]keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a (K)father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father, and (L)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 For you shall live in the land of (M)Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your [h]grandchildren, and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11 There I will also (N)provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.”’ 12 Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13 Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and (O)bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and (P)wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.
16 Now when (Q)the [i]news was heard in Pharaoh’s house [j]that Joseph’s brothers had come, it [k]pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your livestock and [l]go to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households and come to me; and (R)I will give you the [m]best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19 Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: [n]take (S)wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20 And do not [o]concern yourselves with your property, for the [p]best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them (T)wagons according to the [q]command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To [r]each of them he gave (U)changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and (V)five changes of garments. 23 And to his father he sent [s]the following: ten male donkeys loaded with the [t]best things of Egypt, ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and sustenance for his father [u]on the journey.
24 So he sent his brothers away, and [v]as they departed, he said to them, “Do not [w]quarrel on the journey.” 25 Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But [x]he was stunned, for (W)he did not believe them. 27 When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the (X)wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, then the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:1 Lit stood
- Genesis 45:2 Lit gave forth his voice in weeping
- Genesis 45:4 Lit near
- Genesis 45:4 Lit near
- Genesis 45:5 Lit in your eyes
- Genesis 45:5 Lit for preservation of life
- Genesis 45:7 As in MT; another reading (cf. LXX) keep alive for you a great remnant
- Genesis 45:10 Lit children’s children
- Genesis 45:16 Lit voice
- Genesis 45:16 Lit saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come”
- Genesis 45:16 Lit was good in the eyes of
- Genesis 45:17 Lit come, go
- Genesis 45:18 Lit good
- Genesis 45:19 Lit take for yourselves
- Genesis 45:20 Lit let your eye look with regret upon your vessels
- Genesis 45:20 Lit good
- Genesis 45:21 Lit mouth
- Genesis 45:22 Lit all of them he gave each man
- Genesis 45:23 Lit like this
- Genesis 45:23 Lit good
- Genesis 45:23 Lit for
- Genesis 45:24 Lit they departed; and he said
- Genesis 45:24 Lit be agitated
- Genesis 45:26 Lit his heart grew numb
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
