³ And Joseph said to his brothers, ^(A)“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, ^(B)whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, ^(C)for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are ^(D)yet five years in which there will be neither ^(E)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 ^(F)ruler over all the land of Egypt.

¹⁸ His brothers also came and ^(A)fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” ¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for ^(B)am I in the place of God? ²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me, but ^(C)God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people^[a] should be kept alive, as they are today.