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Joseph Reveals His Identity

45 Joseph could no longer control his emotions in front of everyone who was standing around him, so he cried out, “Have everyone leave me!” No one else was there when Joseph told his brothers who he was. He cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him because they were afraid of him.

“Please come closer to me,” Joseph said to his brothers. When they did so, he said, “I am Joseph, the brother you sold into slavery in Egypt! Now, don’t be sad or angry with yourselves that you sold me. God sent me ahead of you to save lives. The famine has been in the land for two years. There will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me ahead of you to make sure that you would have descendants on the earth and to save your lives in an amazing way. It wasn’t you who sent me here, but God. He has made me ⌞like⌟ a father to Pharaoh, lord over his entire household, and ruler of Egypt.

“Hurry back to my father, and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of Egypt. Come here to me right away! 10 Live in the land of Goshen, where you will be near me. Live there with your children and your grandchildren, as well as your flocks, your herds, and everything you have. 11 I will provide for you in Egypt, since there will be five more years of famine. Then you, your family, and all who belong to you won’t lose everything.” ’

12 “You and my brother Benjamin can see for yourselves that I am the one who is speaking to you. 13 Tell my father how greatly honored I am in Egypt and about everything you have seen. Hurry and bring my father here!”

14 He threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and cried with Benjamin, who was crying on his shoulder. 15 He kissed all his brothers and cried with them. After that his brothers talked with him.

Pharaoh Invites Jacob’s [Israel’s] Family to Live in Egypt

16 When Pharaoh’s household heard the news that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and his officials were pleased. 17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Load up your animals, and go back to Canaan. 18 Take your father and your families, and come to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt. Then you can enjoy the best food in the land.’

19 “Give them this order: ‘Take wagons with you from Egypt for your children and your wives. Bring your father, and come back. 20 Don’t worry about your belongings because the best of everything in Egypt is yours.’ ”

21 Israel’s sons did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons and supplies for their trip as Pharaoh had ordered. 22 He gave each of them a change of clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 He sent his father ten male donkeys carrying Egypt’s best products and ten female donkeys carrying grain, bread, and food for his father’s trip. 24 So Joseph sent his brothers on their way. As they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on your way back!”

25 So they left Egypt and came to their father Jacob in Canaan. 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! Yes, he is ruler of Egypt.” Jacob was stunned and didn’t believe them. 27 Yet, when they told their father everything Joseph had said to them and he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to bring him back, his spirits were lifted.

28 “You have convinced me!” Israel said. “My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

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. Then (B)he [b]wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard about it. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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

  1. Genesis 45:1 Lit stood
  2. Genesis 45:2 Lit gave forth his voice in weeping
  3. Genesis 45:4 Lit near
  4. Genesis 45:4 Lit near
  5. Genesis 45:5 Lit in your eyes
  6. Genesis 45:5 Lit for preservation of life
  7. Genesis 45:7 As in MT; another reading (cf. LXX) keep alive for you a great remnant
  8. Genesis 45:10 Lit children’s children
  9. Genesis 45:16 Lit voice
  10. Genesis 45:16 Lit saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come”
  11. Genesis 45:16 Lit was good in the eyes of
  12. Genesis 45:17 Lit come, go
  13. Genesis 45:18 Lit good
  14. Genesis 45:19 Lit take for yourselves
  15. Genesis 45:20 Lit let your eye look with regret upon your vessels
  16. Genesis 45:20 Lit good
  17. Genesis 45:21 Lit mouth
  18. Genesis 45:22 Lit all of them he gave each man
  19. Genesis 45:23 Lit like this
  20. Genesis 45:23 Lit good
  21. Genesis 45:23 Lit for
  22. Genesis 45:24 Lit they departed; and he said
  23. Genesis 45:24 Lit be agitated
  24. Genesis 45:26 Lit his heart grew numb