Genèse 45
La Bible du Semeur
Joseph révèle son identité à ses frères
45 Alors Joseph, ne pouvant plus dominer son émotion devant tous ceux qui étaient présents, s’écria : Faites sortir tout le monde !
Ainsi personne de son entourage n’était en sa présence lorsqu’il fit connaître son identité à ses frères[a]. 2 Mais il sanglotait si fort en parlant que les Egyptiens l’entendirent, et la nouvelle parvint jusqu’au palais du pharaon. 3 Il dit à ses frères : Je suis Joseph ! Mon père est-il encore en vie ?
Mais ses frères étaient incapables de lui répondre tant ils avaient peur de lui. 4 Alors Joseph leur dit : Venez près de moi !
Ils s’approchèrent.
– Je suis Joseph, leur dit-il, votre frère, que vous avez vendu pour être emmené en Egypte. 5 Et maintenant, ne vous tourmentez pas et ne soyez pas fâchés de m’avoir vendu comme esclave. C’est pour vous sauver la vie que Dieu m’a envoyé devant vous. 6 Car voici deux ans que la famine sévit dans ce pays et pendant cinq ans encore, il n’y aura ni labour ni moisson. 7 Dieu m’a envoyé devant vous pour vous faire subsister sur la terre, pour préserver votre vie par une très grande délivrance. 8 C’est pourquoi ce n’est pas vous qui m’avez envoyé ici, c’est Dieu. Et il m’a élevé au rang de « Père pour le pharaon[b] », faisant de moi le maître de toute sa cour et le dirigeant de toute l’Egypte. 9 Retournez donc au plus vite auprès de mon père et dites-lui : « Ton fils Joseph te fait dire ceci : Dieu m’a établi maître de toute l’Egypte ; viens auprès de moi sans tarder. 10 Tu habiteras dans la région de Goshen[c], pour être proche de moi, toi, tes enfants et tes petits-enfants, tes moutons, tes chèvres et tes bovins, tout ce qui t’appartient. 11 Et là, je pourvoirai à tes besoins pour que tu ne restes pas sans ressources, toi, ta famille et tout ce qui t’appartient. Car il y aura encore cinq ans de famine[d]. » 12 Vous voyez de vos yeux, et mon frère Benjamin également, que c’est bien moi qui vous parle. 13 Informez mon père de tous les honneurs dont je suis comblé en Egypte, racontez-lui tout ce que vous avez vu et dépêchez-vous de le faire venir ici.
14 Puis il se jeta au cou de Benjamin, son frère, et tous deux pleurèrent sur les épaules l’un de l’autre. 15 Ensuite, il embrassa tous ses frères en pleurant. Après quoi, ses frères s’entretinrent avec lui.
Le pharaon invite Jacob en Egypte
16 La nouvelle de l’arrivée des frères de Joseph se répandit aussitôt au palais du pharaon. Elle fit plaisir au pharaon et à ses hauts fonctionnaires. 17 Le pharaon dit à Joseph : Tu diras à tes frères : « Voilà ce que vous allez faire : Chargez vos bêtes et retournez au pays de Canaan, 18 pour aller y chercher votre père ainsi que vos familles. Puis vous reviendrez chez moi et je vous donnerai les bonnes terres d’Egypte et vous mangerez les meilleurs produits du pays. » 19 Quant à toi, transmets-leur l’ordre suivant : « Emmenez avec vous d’Egypte des chariots pour vos enfants et vos femmes, faites-y monter aussi votre père et revenez. 20 N’ayez pas de regret pour ce que vous laisserez, car ce qu’il y a de meilleur dans toute l’Egypte sera à votre disposition. »
21 Les fils d’Israël firent ce qu’on leur avait dit. Joseph leur procura des chariots, selon ce qu’avait déclaré le pharaon, et il leur donna des provisions pour le voyage. 22 Il offrit un habit de rechange à chacun de ses frères ; quant à Benjamin, il lui donna trois cents pièces d’argent et cinq habits de rechange. 23 Il envoya à son père dix ânes chargés des meilleurs produits de l’Egypte, et dix ânesses chargées de blé, de pain et de vivres pour son voyage. 24 Il prit congé de ses frères en leur recommandant de ne pas se disputer[e] en chemin. Et ils s’en allèrent.
Les frères de Joseph reviennent auprès de Jacob
25 Ils retournèrent donc d’Egypte au pays de Canaan auprès de Jacob, leur père. 26 Ils lui annoncèrent la nouvelle : « Joseph vit encore, et c’est même lui qui gouverne toute l’Egypte. » Mais il ne réagit pas parce qu’il ne les croyait pas. 27 Ils lui répétèrent tout ce que Joseph avait dit. Puis Jacob vit les chariots que Joseph avait envoyés pour le transporter. Alors il reprit vie. 28 Israël déclara : Assez parlé : Joseph mon fils est encore en vie, j’irai le voir avant de mourir.
Footnotes
- 45.1 Voir Ac 7.13.
- 45.8 Titre officiel des vizirs et des ministres. Certains pensent que Joseph était devenu le conseiller du pharaon. Voir 41.42.
- 45.10 Près de la frontière nord-est de l’Egypte, dans le delta du Nil, une région très fertile (v. 18) et propre à l’élevage.
- 45.11 Voir Ac 7.14.
- 45.24 Autre traduction : de ne pas se presser ou de se faire du souci.
Genesis 45
English Standard Version
Joseph Provides for His Brothers and Family
45 Then Joseph could not (A)control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, (B)“I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, (C)whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, (D)for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are (E)yet five years in which there will be neither (F)plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and (G)ruler over 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 tarry. 10 (H)You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 (I)There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is (J)my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and (K)bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.
16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, “Joseph's brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and (L)I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take (M)wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for[a] your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them (N)wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave (O)a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels[b] of silver and (P)five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, (Q)“Do not quarrel on the way.”
25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw (R)the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:20 Hebrew Let your eye not pity
- Genesis 45:22 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
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
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
