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Genesis 45
Lexham English Bible
Genesis 45
Lexham English Bible
Joseph Reveals His Identity
45 Then Joseph was not able to control himself before all who were standing by him. And he cried out, “Make every man go out from me!” So no one stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept loudly,[a] so that the Egyptians heard it and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” And his brothers were unable to answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they drew near. And he said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 So now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves[b] that you sold me here, for God sent me as deliverance before you. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the midst of the land, but there will be five more years where there is no plowing or harvest. 7 And God sent me before you all to preserve for you a remnant in the land and to keep alive among you many survivors. 8 So now, you yourselves did not send me here, but God put me here as father to Pharaoh and as master of all his household, and a 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 and do not delay. 10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen so that you will be near me, you and your children and your grandchildren, and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11 And I will provide for you there, because there are still five years of famine—lest you and your household and all that you have become destitute.’ 12 Now behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is I[c] who am speaking to you. 13 And you must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt and all that you have seen. Now hurry and bring my father here.” 14 Then he fell upon the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. And afterward his brothers spoke with him. 16 Then the report was heard in the house of Pharaoh, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” And it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers: ‘Do this—load your donkeys and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take 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 And you Joseph, are commanded to say this: ‘Do this! Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives, and bring your father and come! 20 Do not worry[d] about your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 And the sons of Israel did so. And Joseph gave them wagons at the word of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and to all of them he gave sets of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five sets of clothing. 23 And to his father he sent as follows:[e] ten donkeys carrying the best of Egypt, and ten donkeys carrying grain and food and provisions for his father for the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and when they departed he said to them, “Do not be agitated on the journey.” 25 So they went up from Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they spoke to him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart went numb,[f] because he did not believe him. 27 Then they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them. And when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, then the spirit of Jacob their father 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 45:2 Literally “he gave his voice with weeping”
- Genesis 45:5 Literally “in your eyes”
- Genesis 45:12 Literally “it is my mouth”
- Genesis 45:20 Literally “let not your eyes be troubled”
- Genesis 45:23 Literally “according to this”
- Genesis 45:26 Or “became cold”
Genesis 45
EasyEnglish Bible
Genesis 45
EasyEnglish Bible
Joseph says who he is
45 After Judah said this, Joseph could not control himself. He did not want to cry in front of all his servants. So he shouted, ‘Make everyone go away from me!’ So there was no one still there with Joseph, except his brothers. Then he told his brothers who he was. 2 Joseph wept loudly, so that the Egyptians heard him. All the people in Pharaoh's house knew about it.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him because they were too frightened. They could see Joseph was there in front of them![a]
4 Then Joseph said to them, ‘Come near to me.’ So they did that. He said, ‘I am your brother Joseph. I am the one that you sold to become a slave in Egypt! 5 But do not be upset. Do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me like that. No! It was God who sent me here! He sent me here before you came. He did that so that I could save people's lives. 6 There has been a famine for two years already. No food will grow for another five years. 7 But God sent me to come here before you. Because of that, your family would stay alive. God would do a great thing to save you and your descendants. 8 So you did not really send me here. It was God who did that! He made me Pharaoh's most important officer, as if I am his father. I take care of everything in Pharaoh's palace. I have authority to rule over all of Egypt.[b] 9 Now hurry back to my father. Say to him, “This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord over all Egypt. Come here to me. Come now. 10 You can live in the region called Goshen. You, your children and your grandchildren can live there. You can bring your sheep, goats and cows, together with everything that you have. In Goshen you will all be near me. 11 I will take care of you there. I will give food to you, because there will be five more years of famine. If you do not come here, you and all your family and servants will become very poor.” ’
12 Joseph continued to say to his brothers, ‘As I speak to you now, you can all see clearly that I really am Joseph. My brother Benjamin also knows that. 13 Tell my father about the authority that I have here in Egypt. Tell him about everything that you have seen here. Then bring my father here quickly.’
14 Then Joseph hugged his brother Benjamin and he wept. Benjamin hugged Joseph and he also wept. 15 Joseph continued to weep as he kissed each of his other brothers too. After this, his brothers began to talk to Joseph.
16 Pharaoh then heard that Joseph's brothers had arrived in Egypt. Pharaoh and his officers were happy to know that. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Tell your brothers to do this. Say to them, “Put food on your donkeys and return home to Canaan. 18 Then bring your father and your families to come here to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt to live on. You will have all the best things that the land gives to you.” 19 You must also tell your brothers, “Take some carts from here in Egypt. Your wives and children can ride in them to come back here. Bring your father and come quickly. 20 Do not worry. You do not have to bring all your things from your own country. The best things of Egypt will belong to you.” ’
21 So Jacob's sons did what Pharaoh said. Joseph gave them carts as Pharaoh had told him to do. He also gave them food for their journey. 22 Joseph gave new clothes to each of his brothers. But he gave 300 silver coins and five sets of clothes to Benjamin. 23 Joseph also sent these things to his father:
10 donkeys that carried the best things from Egypt,
10 female donkeys that carried food and grain,
and other food for his father's journey.
24 Then Joseph sent his brothers to start their journey. As they left, he said to them, ‘Do not argue with each other on your way home!’
25 The brothers left Egypt and they returned home to their father Jacob in Canaan. 26 They told him, ‘Joseph is still alive! He rules over all of Egypt!’ Jacob was so surprised that he did not believe what they said. 27 So Jacob's sons told him everything that Joseph had said to them. Jacob saw the carts that Joseph had sent to carry him back to Egypt. Then Jacob felt stronger again. 28 Jacob said, ‘Now I believe you! My son Joseph is still alive! I will go and see him before I die.’
Genesis 45
New International Version
Genesis 45
New International Version
Joseph Makes Himself Known
45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself(A) before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!”(B) So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept(C) so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.(D)
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”(E) But his brothers were not able to answer him,(F) because they were terrified at his presence.(G)
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”(H) When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!(I) 5 And now, do not be distressed(J) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,(K) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.(L) 6 For two years now there has been famine(M) in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant(N) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.[a](O)
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.(P) He made me father(Q) to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.(R) 9 Now hurry(S) back 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; don’t delay.(T) 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen(U) and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.(V) 11 I will provide for you there,(W) because five years of famine(X) are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’(Y)
12 “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin,(Z) that it is really I who am speaking to you.(AA) 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt(AB) and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.(AC)”
14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin(AD) embraced him,(AE) weeping. 15 And he kissed(AF) all his brothers and wept over them.(AG) Afterward his brothers talked with him.(AH)
16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,(AI) Pharaoh and all his officials(AJ) were pleased.(AK) 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals(AL) and return to the land of Canaan,(AM) 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt(AN) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’(AO)
19 “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts(AP) from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never mind about your belongings,(AQ) because the best of all Egypt(AR) will be yours.’”
21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,(AS) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.(AT) 22 To each of them he gave new clothing,(AU) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels[b] of silver and five sets of clothes.(AV) 23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys(AW) loaded with the best things(AX) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.(AY) 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”(AZ)
25 So they went up out of Egypt(BA) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.(BB) 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”(BC) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.(BD) 27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts(BE) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “I’m convinced!(BF) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”(BG)
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:7 Or save you as a great band of survivors
- Genesis 45:22 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
Genesis 45
Living Bible
Genesis 45
Living Bible
45 Joseph could stand it no longer.
“Out, all of you,” he cried out to his attendants, and he was left alone with his brothers. 2 Then he wept aloud. His sobs could be heard throughout the palace, and the news was quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.
3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers couldn’t say a word, they were so stunned with surprise.
4 “Come over here,” he said. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt! 5 But don’t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it! He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 These two years of famine will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive, so that you will become a great nation. 8 Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh, and manager of this entire nation, ruler of all the land of Egypt.
9 “Hurry, return to my father and tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says, “God has made me chief of all the land of Egypt. Come down to me right away! 10 You shall live in the land of Goshen so that you can be near me with all your children, your grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all that you have. 11-12 I will take care of you there”’ (you men are witnesses of my promise, and my brother Benjamin has heard me say it) ‘“for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you will come to utter poverty along with all your household.”’ 13 Tell our father about all my power here in Egypt, and how everyone obeys me. And bring him to me quickly.”
14 Then, weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin and Benjamin began weeping too. 15 And he did the same with each of his brothers, who finally found their tongues! 16 The news soon reached Pharaoh—“Joseph’s brothers have come”; and Pharaoh was very happy to hear it, as were his officials.
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers to load their pack animals and return quickly to their homes in Canaan, 18 and to bring your father and all of your families and come here to Egypt to live. Tell them, ‘Pharaoh will assign to you the very best territory in the land of Egypt. You shall live off the fat of the land!’ 19 And tell your brothers to take wagons from Egypt to carry their wives and little ones, and to bring your father here. 20 Don’t worry about your property, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.”
21 So Joseph gave them wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and provisions for the journey, 22 and he gave each of them new clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and three hundred pieces of silver! 23 He sent his father ten donkey-loads of the good things of Egypt, and ten donkeys loaded with grain and all kinds of other food, to eat on his journey. 24 So he sent his brothers off.
“Don’t quarrel along the way!” was his parting shot! 25 And leaving, they returned to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.
26 “Joseph is alive,” they shouted to him. “And he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” But Jacob’s heart was like a stone; he couldn’t take it in. 27 But when they had given him Joseph’s messages, and when he saw the wagons filled with food that Joseph had sent him, his spirit revived.
28 And he said, “It must be true! Joseph my son is alive! I will go and see him before I die.”
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EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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Living Bible (TLB)
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