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Genesis 45
New English Translation

The Reconciliation of the Brothers

45 Joseph was no longer able to control himself before all his attendants,[a] so he cried out, “Make everyone go out from my presence!” No one remained[b] with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 He wept loudly;[c] the Egyptians heard it and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.[d]

3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him because they were dumbfounded before him. 4 Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me,” so they came near. Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here,[e] for God sent me[f] ahead of you to preserve life! 6 For these past two years there has been famine in[g] the land and for five more years there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God sent me[h] ahead of you to preserve you[i] on the earth and to save your lives[j] by a great deliverance. 8 So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser[k] to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Now go up to my father quickly[l] and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay! 10 You will live[m] in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have. 11 I will provide you with food[n] there because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise you would become poor—you, your household, and everyone who belongs to you.”’ 12 You and my brother Benjamin can certainly see with your own eyes that I really am the one who speaks to you.[o] 13 So tell[p] my father about all my honor in Egypt and about everything you have seen. But bring my father down here quickly!”[q]

14 Then he threw himself on the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 He kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After this his brothers talked with him.

16 Now it was reported[r] in the household of Pharaoh, “Joseph’s brothers have arrived.” It pleased[s] Pharaoh and his servants. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go[t] to the land of Canaan! 18 Get your father and your households and come to me! Then I will give you[u] the best land in Egypt and you will eat[v] the best[w] of the land.’ 19 You are also commanded to say,[x] ‘Do this: Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives. Bring your father and come. 20 Don’t worry[y] about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt will be yours.’”

21 So the sons of Israel did as he said.[z] Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed,[aa] and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave sets of clothes to each one of them,[ab] but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five sets of clothes.[ac] 23 To his father he sent the following:[ad] ten donkeys loaded with the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, food, and provisions for his father’s journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers on their way and they left. He said to them, “As you travel don’t be overcome with fear.”[ae]

25 So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.[af] 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned,[ag] for he did not believe them. 27 But when they related to him everything Joseph had said to them,[ah] and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, their father Jacob’s spirit revived. 28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive! I will go and see him before I die.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 45:1 tn Heb “all the ones standing beside him.”
  2. Genesis 45:1 tn Heb “stood.”
  3. Genesis 45:2 tn Heb “and he gave his voice in weeping,” meaning that Joseph could not restrain himself and wept out loud.
  4. Genesis 45:2 tn Heb “and the Egyptians heard and the household of Pharaoh heard.” Presumably in the latter case this was by means of a report.
  5. Genesis 45:5 tn Heb “let there not be anger in your eyes.”
  6. Genesis 45:5 sn You sold me here, for God sent me. The tension remains as to how the brothers’ wickedness and God’s intentions work together. Clearly God is able to transform the actions of wickedness to bring about some gracious end. But this is saying more than that; it is saying that from the beginning it was God who sent Joseph here. Although harmonization of these ideas remains humanly impossible, the divine intention is what should be the focus. Only that will enable reconciliation.
  7. Genesis 45:6 tn Heb “the famine [has been] in the midst of.”
  8. Genesis 45:7 sn God sent me. The repetition of this theme that God sent Joseph is reminiscent of commission narratives in which the leader could announce that God sent him (e.g., Exod 3:15).
  9. Genesis 45:7 tn Heb “to make you a remnant.” The verb, followed here by the preposition ל (lamed), means “to make.”
  10. Genesis 45:7 tn The infinitive gives a second purpose for God’s action.
  11. Genesis 45:8 tn Heb “a father.” The term is used here figuratively of one who gives advice, as a father would to his children.
  12. Genesis 45:9 tn Heb “hurry and go up.”
  13. Genesis 45:10 tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive here expresses instruction.
  14. Genesis 45:11 tn The verb כּוּל (kul) in the Pilpel stem means “to nourish, to support, to sustain.” As in 1 Kgs 20:27, it here means “to supply with food.”
  15. Genesis 45:12 tn Heb “And, look, your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that my mouth is the one speaking to you.”
  16. Genesis 45:13 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive here expresses instruction.
  17. Genesis 45:13 tn Heb “and hurry and bring down my father to here.”
  18. Genesis 45:16 tn Heb “and the sound was heard.”
  19. Genesis 45:16 tn Heb “was good in the eyes of.”
  20. Genesis 45:17 tn Heb “and go! Enter!”
  21. Genesis 45:18 tn After the imperatives in vv. 17-18a, the cohortative with vav indicates result.
  22. Genesis 45:18 tn After the cohortative the imperative with vav states the ultimate goal.
  23. Genesis 45:18 tn Heb “fat.”
  24. Genesis 45:19 tn The words “to say” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  25. Genesis 45:20 tn Heb “let not your eye regard.”
  26. Genesis 45:21 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel did so.”
  27. Genesis 45:21 tn Heb “according to the mouth of Pharaoh.”
  28. Genesis 45:22 tn Heb “to all of them he gave, to each one, changes of outer garments.”
  29. Genesis 45:22 tn Heb “changes of outer garments.”
  30. Genesis 45:23 tn Heb “according to this.”
  31. Genesis 45:24 tn Heb “do not be stirred up in the way.” The verb means “stir up.” Some understand the Hebrew verb רָגָז (ragaz, “to stir up”) as a reference to quarreling (see Prov 29:9, where it has this connotation), but in Exod 15:14 and other passages it means “to fear.” This might refer to a fear of robbers, but more likely it is an assuring word that they need not be fearful about returning to Egypt. They might have thought that once Jacob was in Egypt, Joseph would take his revenge on them.
  32. Genesis 45:25 tn Heb “and they entered the land of Canaan to their father.”
  33. Genesis 45:26 tn Heb “and his heart was numb.” Jacob was stunned by the unbelievable news and was unable to respond.
  34. Genesis 45:27 tn Heb “and they spoke to him all the words of Joseph which he had spoke to them.”
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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

  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
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