³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”^(A) But his brothers were not able to answer him,^(B) because they were terrified at his presence.^(C)

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”^(D) When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!^{(E) 5} And now, do not be distressed^(F) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,^(G) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.^{(H) 6} For two years now there has been famine^(I) in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant^(J) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.^[a](K)

⁸ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.^(L) He made me father^(M) to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.^{(N) 9} Now hurry^(O) back 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; don’t delay.^{(P) 10} You shall live in the region of Goshen^(Q) and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.^{(R) 11} I will provide for you there,^(S) because five years of famine^(T) are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’^(U)

²¹ So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,^(A) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.^{(B) 22} To each of them he gave new clothing,^(C) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels^[a] of silver and five sets of clothes.^{(D) 23} And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys^(E) loaded with the best things^(F) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.^{(G) 24} Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”^(H)

²⁵ So they went up out of Egypt^(I) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.^{(J) 26} They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”^(K) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.^{(L) 27} But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts^(M) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. ²⁸ And Israel said, “I’m convinced!^(N) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”^(O)