Genèse 45
Louis Segond
45 Joseph ne pouvait plus se contenir devant tous ceux qui l'entouraient. Il s'écria: Faites sortir tout le monde. Et il ne resta personne avec Joseph, quand il se fit connaître à ses frères.
2 Il éleva la voix, en pleurant. Les Égyptiens l'entendirent, et la maison de Pharaon l'entendit.
3 Joseph dit à ses frères: Je suis Joseph! Mon père vit-il encore? Mais ses frères ne purent lui répondre, car ils étaient troublés en sa présence.
4 Joseph dit à ses frères: Approchez-vous de moi. Et ils s'approchèrent. Il dit: Je suis Joseph, votre frère, que vous avez vendu pour être mené en Égypte.
5 Maintenant, ne vous affligez pas, et ne soyez pas fâchés de m'avoir vendu pour être conduit ici, car c'est pour vous sauver la vie que Dieu m'a envoyé devant vous.
6 Voilà deux ans que la famine est dans le pays; et pendant cinq années encore, il n'y aura ni labour, ni moisson.
7 Dieu m'a envoyé devant vous pour vous faire subsister dans le pays, et pour vous faire vivre par une grande délivrance.
8 Ce n'est donc pas vous qui m'avez envoyé ici, mais c'est Dieu; il m'a établi père de Pharaon, maître de toute sa maison, et gouverneur de tout le pays d'Égypte.
9 Hâtez-vous de remonter auprès de mon père, et vous lui direz: Ainsi a parlé ton fils Joseph: Dieu m'a établi seigneur de toute l'Égypte; descends vers moi, ne tarde pas!
10 Tu habiteras dans le pays de Gosen, et tu seras près de moi, toi, tes fils, et les fils de tes fils, tes brebis et tes boeufs, et tout ce qui est à toi.
11 Là, je te nourrirai, car il y aura encore cinq années de famine; et ainsi tu ne périras point, toi, ta maison, et tout ce qui est à toi.
12 Vous voyez de vos yeux, et mon frère Benjamin voit de ses yeux que c'est moi-même qui vous parle.
13 Racontez à mon père toute ma gloire en Égypte, et tout ce que vous avez vu; et vous ferez descendre ici mon père au plus tôt.
14 Il se jeta au cou de Benjamin, son frère, et pleura; et Benjamin pleura sur son cou.
15 Il embrassa aussi tous ses frères, en pleurant. Après quoi, ses frères s'entretinrent avec lui.
16 Le bruit se répandit dans la maison de Pharaon que les frères de Joseph étaient arrivés: ce qui fut agréable à Pharaon et à ses serviteurs.
17 Pharaon dit à Joseph: Dis à tes frères: Faites ceci. Chargez vos bêtes, et partez pour le pays de Canaan;
18 prenez votre père et vos familles, et venez auprès de moi. Je vous donnerai ce qu'il y a de meilleur au pays d'Égypte, et vous mangerez la graisse du pays.
19 Tu as ordre de leur dire: Faites ceci. Prenez dans le pays d'Égypte des chars pour vos enfants et pour vos femmes; amenez votre père, et venez.
20 Ne regrettez point ce que vous laisserez, car ce qu'il a de meilleur dans tout le pays d'Égypte sera pour vous.
21 Les fils d'Israël firent ainsi. Joseph leur donna des chars, selon l'ordre de Pharaon; il leur donna aussi des provisions pour la route.
22 Il leur donna à tous des vêtements de rechange, et il donna à Benjamin trois cents sicles d'argent et cinq vêtements de rechange.
23 Il envoya à son père dix ânes chargés de ce qu'il y avait de meilleur en Égypte, et dix ânesses chargées de blé, de pain et de vivres, pour son père pendant le voyage.
24 Puis il congédia ses frères, qui partirent; et il leur dit: Ne vous querellez pas en chemin.
25 Ils remontèrent de l'Égypte, et ils arrivèrent dans le pays de Canaan, auprès de Jacob, leur père.
26 Ils lui dirent: Joseph vit encore, et même c'est lui qui gouverne tout le pays d'Égypte. Mais le coeur de Jacob resta froid, parce qu'il ne les croyait pas.
27 Ils lui rapportèrent toutes les paroles que Joseph leur avait dites. Il vit les chars que Joseph avait envoyés pour le transporter. C'est alors que l'esprit de Jacob, leur père, se ranima;
28 et Israël dit: C'est assez! Joseph, mon fils, vit encore! J'irai, et je le verrai avant que je meure.
Genesis 45
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 45
The Truth Revealed.[a] 1 Joseph could no longer restrain himself in the presence of all his attendants, so he cried out, “Have everyone withdraw from me!” So no one attended him when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 But his sobs were so loud that the Egyptians heard him, and so the news reached Pharaoh’s house. 3 (A)“I am Joseph,” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could give him no answer, so dumbfounded were they at him.
4 “Come closer to me,” Joseph told his brothers. When they had done so, he said: “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now do not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.(B) 6 The famine has been in the land for two years now, and for five more years cultivation will yield no harvest. 7 God, therefore, sent me on ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance. 8 So it was not really you but God who had me come here; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh,[b] lord of all his household, and ruler over the whole land of Egypt.
9 [c]“Hurry back, then, to my father and tell him: ‘Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me without delay.(C) 10 You can settle in the region of Goshen,[d] where you will be near me—you and your children and children’s children, your flocks and herds, and everything that you own. 11 I will provide for you there in the five years of famine that lie ahead, so that you and your household and all that are yours will not suffer want.’ 12 Surely, you can see for yourselves, and Benjamin can see for himself, that it is I who am speaking to you. 13 Tell my father all about my high position in Egypt and all that you have seen. But hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept on his shoulder. 15 Joseph then kissed all his brothers and wept over them; and only then were his brothers able to talk with him.
16 The news reached Pharaoh’s house: “Joseph’s brothers have come.” Pharaoh and his officials were pleased. 17 So Pharaoh told Joseph: “Say to your brothers: ‘This is what you shall do: Load up your animals and go without delay to the land of Canaan. 18 There get your father and your households, and then come to me; I will assign you the best land in Egypt, where you will live off the fat of the land.’(D) 19 Instruct them further: ‘Do this. Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your children and your wives and bring your father back here. 20 Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best in the whole land of Egypt shall be yours.’”
21 The sons of Israel acted accordingly. Joseph gave them the wagons, as Pharaoh had ordered, and he supplied them with provisions for the journey. 22 He also gave to each of them a set of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. 23 Moreover, what he sent to his father was ten donkeys loaded with the finest products of Egypt and another ten loaded with grain and bread and provisions for his father’s journey. 24 As he sent his brothers on their way, he told them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”
25 So they went up from Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob. 26 When they told him, “Joseph is still alive—in fact, it is he who is governing all the land of Egypt,” he was unmoved, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they recounted to him all that Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob came to life. 28 “Enough,” said Israel. “My son Joseph is still alive! I must go and see him before I die.”
Footnotes
- 45:1–28 Joseph reveals his identity and the family is reconciled.
- 45:8 Father to Pharaoh: a term applied to a vizier in ancient Egypt.
- 45:9–15 In these verses, as in 46:31–47:5a, all from the Yahwist source, Joseph in his own name invites his father and brothers to come to Egypt. Only after their arrival is Pharaoh informed of the fact. On the other hand, in 45:16–20, which scholars have traditionally attributed to the Elohist source, it is Pharaoh himself who invites Joseph’s family to migrate to his domain.
- 45:10 The region of Goshen: the meaning of the term is unknown. It is found in no Egyptian source. It is generally thought to be in the modern Wadi Tumilat in the eastern part of the Nile Delta.
Genesis 45
New King James Version
Joseph Revealed to His Brothers
45 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him (A)while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he (B)wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.
3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, (C)“I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, (D)whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; (E)for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the (F)famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God (G)sent me before you to preserve a [a]posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but (H)God; and He has made me (I)a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a (J)ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not [b]tarry. 10 (K)You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will (L)provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’
12 “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is (M)my mouth that speaks to you. 13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and (N)bring my father down here.”
14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 Moreover he (O)kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat (P)the [c]fat of the land. 19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. 20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them (Q)carts,[d] according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave to all of them, to each man, (R)changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and (S)five changes of garments. 23 And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”
25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” (T)And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit (U)of Jacob their father revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:7 remnant
- Genesis 45:9 delay
- Genesis 45:18 The choicest produce
- Genesis 45:21 wagons
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
