Genesis 45
American Standard Version
45 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he [a]wept aloud: and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive [b]by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not; 10 and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: 11 and there will I nourish thee; for there are yet five years of famine; lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast. 12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. 13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen: and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. 14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
16 And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; 18 and take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye: take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
21 And the sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. 22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. 23 And to his father he sent after this manner: ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way. 24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way. 25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt. And his heart fainted, for he believed them not. 27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: 28 and Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:2 Hebrew gave forth his voice in weeping.
- Genesis 45:7 Or, to be a great company that escape
Genesis 45
Modern English Version
Joseph Reveals His Identity
45 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make every man go out from me.” So no man stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 He wept so loudly that the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard about it.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.
4 Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me,” and they came near. Then he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 Now do not be upset or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God sent me ahead of you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 “So now it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of his entire household and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up 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; do not delay. 10 And you will dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, along with your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 I will provide for you there, for there are still five years of famine to come, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty.” ’
12 “Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that is speaking to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and of all that you have seen, and you must hurry and 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 kissed all his brothers and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.
16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this. Load your animals and go to the land of Canaan. 18 Get your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’
19 “You are also commanded to say, ‘Do this: Take your wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Also do not concern yourself with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21 So the sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each of them he gave a change of clothes, but he gave to Benjamin three hundred shekels of silver[a] and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provisions for his father on the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”
25 They went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still because he could not believe them. 27 They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 Then Israel said, “Enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:22 About 7½ pounds, or 3.5 kilograms.
Genesis 45
Wycliffe Bible
45 Joseph might no longer abstain himself, while many men stood there before him; wherefore he commanded that all men should go out, and that none alien were present in the knowing of Joseph and his brethren. (Joseph could no longer restrain himself, with so many men standing there before him; and so he commanded that all the men go out, so that no stranger was present when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.)
2 And Joseph raised up his voice with weeping, which the Egyptians heard, and all the house(hold) of Pharaoh.
3 And he said to his brethren, I am Joseph; liveth my father yet? (yet liveth my father?) His brethren might not answer, and were aghast with full much dread.
4 To whom Joseph said meekly, Cometh nigh to me (To whom Joseph meekly said, Come near to me). And when they had nighed nigh, he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt;
5 do not ye dread, neither seem it to be hard to you, that ye sold me into these countries; for God hath sent me before you into Egypt for your health. (do not ye fear, nor be ye harsh with yourselves, that ye sold me into this country; for God hath sent me before you into Egypt for your salvation.)
6 For it is (but) two years that hunger began to be in the land, (and) yet five (more) years (shall) follow, in which men shall not be able to ear, neither reap;
7 and God before-sent me, that ye be kept (alive) on (the) earth, and may have meats to live. (and God sent me ahead, so that ye would be kept alive on this earth, and have food to eat/and have descendants into without end.)
8 I was sent hither not by your counsel, but by God’s will, which hath made me as the father of Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and prince in all the land of Egypt. (I was sent here not by your deeds, but by God’s will, who hath made me like a father to Pharaoh, and the lord of all his household, and the ruler in all the land of Egypt.)
9 Haste ye, and goeth up to my father, and ye shall say to him, Thy son Joseph sendeth these things to thee; God hath made me lord of all the land of Egypt; come down (here) to me, and tarry not,
10 and (then) dwell in the land of Goshen; and thou shalt be beside me, thou, and thy sons, and the sons of thy sons, (and) thy sheep, and thy great beasts, and all things which thou wieldest (and all the things which thou possessest),
11 and there I shall feed thee; for yet five years of hunger be left, lest both thou perish, and thine house, and all things which thou wieldest. (and I shall feed thee there; for there be five more years of famine to come, and lest thou, and thy household, or thy family, and all the things that thou possessest, perish.)
12 Lo! your eyes (see), and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that (it is) my mouth (which) speaketh to you;
13 tell ye to my father all my glory, and all things which ye saw in Egypt; haste ye, and bring ye him to me. (tell ye to my father about all of my glory here in Egypt, and all of the things which ye have seen; then haste ye, and bring ye him down here to me.)
14 And when he had embraced, and felled into the neck of Benjamin, his brother, he wept, the while also Benjamin wept in like manner on the neck of Joseph. (And he embraced his brother, and fell on Benjamin’s neck, and he wept, and Benjamin also wept in like manner upon Joseph’s neck.)
15 And Joseph kissed all his brethren, and wept on them all (and wept over them all); after which things they were hardy to speak to him.
16 And it was heard, and published by famous word in the king’s hall, (saying,) The brethren of Joseph be come. And Pharaoh joyed, and all his house (And Pharaoh and all of his household were glad);
17 and Pharaoh said to Joseph, that he should command his brethren, and say to them, Charge ye your beasts, and go ye into the land of Canaan, (and Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brothers, Load ye up your beasts, and go to the land of Canaan,)
18 and take ye from thence your father, and your kindred, and come ye (back) to me; and I shall give you all the goods of Egypt, that ye eat the marrow of the land (and I shall give to you all the good things of Egypt, and ye shall eat the marrow of the land).
19 Command thou also, that they take wains (out) of the land of Egypt to the carriage of their little children, and wives, and say thou, Take ye your father, and haste ye (in) coming soon, (Command thou also, that they take wagons from the land of Egypt for the transport of their little children, and their wives, and say thou to them, Bring ye your father here, and make ye haste in coming back soon,)
20 neither leave ye anything of the purtenance of your house, for all the riches of Egypt shall be yours. (nor take ye anything of your household possessions, for all the riches of Egypt shall be yours.)
21 The sons of Israel did as it was commanded to them; to which Joseph gave wains, by the behest of Pharaoh, and meats in the way; (And the sons of Israel did as they were commanded; and Joseph gave them wagons, by the command of Pharaoh, and food for the way;)
22 and he commanded two stoles to be brought forth to each (and he commanded that two stoles, or changes of clothing, be brought forth for each brother); forsooth he gave to Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver, with five (of) the best stoles;
23 and he sent to his father so much of silver, and of clothes, and he added to them ten male asses, that should bear of the riches of Egypt, and so many female asses, bearing wheat and loaves in the way. (and he sent his father ten male donkeys, carrying gifts of the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys, carrying corn, or grain, and loaves for the journey to Egypt.)
24 Therefore he let go his brethren, and said to them going forth, Be ye not wroth in the way. (And so he let his brothers go, and said to them as they went forth, Do not ye argue on the way.)
25 Which went up from Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob;
26 and they told to him, and said, Joseph, thy son, liveth, and he is lord in all the land of Egypt. And when this was heard, Jacob waked as of a grievous sleep; nevertheless he believed not to them. (and they told him, and said, Thy son Joseph liveth, and he is the ruler of all the land of Egypt. And when he heard this, Jacob appeared as if awakening from a grievous sleep, and he could not believe them.)
27 They told on the contrary to him all the order of the thing; and when Jacob had seen the wains, and all things which Joseph had sent, his spirit lived again, (But then they told him everything that Joseph had said; and when Jacob had seen the wagons, and all the things which Joseph had sent, his spirit lived again, or revived,)
28 and he said, It sufficeth to me, if Joseph my son liveth yet (It sufficeth for me, if my son Joseph yet liveth); I shall go and see him before that I die.
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
2001 by Terence P. Noble