Genesis 45
International Standard Version
Joseph Reveals Himself
45 At this point, Joseph could not control his emotions any longer, so he cried out to everyone who was standing nearby, “Everybody! Leave me!” As a result, none of his staff[a] was anywhere near[b] him when he revealed himself to his brothers. 2 He cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, including Pharaoh’s household.
3 Joseph blurted out, “I’m Joseph! Is my father really alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, because they had become terrified[c] to be in his presence.
4 Joseph implored his brothers, “Please come close to me.” So they did.
“I’m your brother Joseph, whom you sold into slavery in[d] Egypt!” he told them. 5 “But[e] don’t be distressed or angry at yourselves because you sold me here, because God sent me ahead of you all in order to deliver us.[f] 6 That’s because this famine has been going on for two years now in this region, and there are still five years left, during which there won’t be any plowing or harvesting. 7 God sent me ahead of you to keep you alive on the earth, and to save you all in a magnificent way. 8 As a result, it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God himself! He established me as a father-figure to Pharaoh himself! I’m in charge of his entire palace and ruler over the entire land of Egypt. 9 So hurry up, go back to my father, and tell him that his son Joseph tells him, ‘God has made me master of all of Egypt. Hurry up! Come live with me!’ 10 You are to live in the land of Goshen, near where I am—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything that you own. 11 I’ll provide for you there, since there are still five years of famine left to go, and you, your households, and everything you own would have otherwise become impoverished.
12 “Look, now! All of you can see me! And my own brother Benjamin can tell that it’s really me[g] speaking to you! 13 So go tell my father about all of my splendor in Egypt. Tell him about everything that you’ve seen. Be quick about it, and bring my father down here!”
14 Then he threw his arms around Benjamin[h] and wept as they embraced.[i] 15 He kissed all of his brothers and wept with them, too, and then his brothers were able to talk with him.
Pharaoh is Pleased
16 As soon as the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had arrived, Pharaoh and his servants were ecstatic. 17 Pharaoh told Joseph, “Be sure to tell your brothers, ‘Do this: load up your livestock, go back to the land of Canaan, 18 get your father and your households, and come back to me. I’ll give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can live off the abundance of the land.’ 19 In addition,” Pharaoh ordered, “Do this: take some transport wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones to ride in, along with your wives, and bring your father and come! 20 Don’t worry about your household goods, because the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.”
Joseph’s Brothers Go Back Home
21 So Israel’s sons did what they were asked to do, and Joseph provided wagons for them, as Pharaoh had commanded. He also gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave each of them some changes of clothes, but he also gave Benjamin 300 pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 He sent his father ten male donkeys loaded with the best of Egyptian goods and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provisions for his father during the journey. 24 Then Joseph[j] sent his brothers away, and they left for home.[k] As they were leaving, Joseph admonished them, “Don’t quarrel on the way back!”
25 So Joseph’s brothers[l] left Egypt and returned to the land of Canaan and to their father Jacob, 26 where they informed their father, “Joseph is still alive! As a matter of fact, he’s ruling the entire land of Egypt.” But Jacob didn’t believe them, because he had become cynical.[m] 27 However, as soon as his sons[n] had told him everything Joseph had said, and after he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent along to carry him, their father Jacob’s spirit was encouraged.
28 “It’s enough,” Israel replied. “My son Joseph is still alive. I’m going to go see him before I die!”
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:1 Lit. result, no man
- Genesis 45:1 Lit. was standing nearby
- Genesis 45:3 Or dismayed
- Genesis 45:4 The Heb. lacks slavery in
- Genesis 45:5 Or So
- Genesis 45:5 The Heb. lacks us
- Genesis 45:12 Lit. it’s my mouth
- Genesis 45:14 Lit. he collapsed on Benjamin’s neck
- Genesis 45:14 Lit. as Benjamin wept on his neck
- Genesis 45:24 Lit. he
- Genesis 45:24 The Heb. lacks for home
- Genesis 45:25 Lit. So they
- Genesis 45:26 Lit. because his heart had become numb
- Genesis 45:27 Lit. as they
Génesis 45
Nueva Biblia Viva
José se da a conocer
45 José no pudo aguantar más.
―¡Salgan todos de mi presencia! —exclamó—, dirigiéndose a sus siervos.
Quedó solo con sus hermanos y, no pudiendo contenerse más, 2 lloró en alta voz. Su llanto se oyó en todo el palacio, y la noticia llegó pronto al palacio del faraón.
3 ―Yo soy José —les dijo a sus hermanos—. ¿Mi padre vive aún?
Pero los hermanos, debido a la gran sorpresa, se quedaron mudos.
4 ―¡Acérquense! —les dijo José.
Ellos se acercaron, y José añadió:
―Yo soy su hermano José, el que ustedes vendieron como esclavo para Egipto. 5 Pero no se aflijan ni se condenen por ello, porque era plan de Dios. Dios me envió aquí antes que a ustedes para preservarnos la vida y la de nuestras familias. 6 Estos años de escasez son los primeros dos de siete años de hambre. En ese tiempo no habrá siembra ni cosecha. 7 Dios me envió aquí para mantenerlos con vida a ustedes y a sus familias, para que puedan ser una nación grande. 8 Sí, Dios, y no ustedes, fue el que me envió a Egipto. Dios me puso por consejero del faraón y por administrador de toda la nación, gobernador de toda la tierra de Egipto. 9 Dense prisa en volver a mi padre y díganle: “Tu hijo José dice: ‘Dios me ha puesto por jefe de toda la tierra de Egipto. Ven hasta donde yo estoy inmediatamente. 10 Vivirás en la tierra de Gosén y estarás cerca de mí con todos tus hijos y nietos, con tus ovejas y vacas, y todo lo que tengas. 11-13 Yo te cuidaré’ ”. Ustedes son testigos de mi promesa, y mi hermano Benjamín me ha oído decirlo. Díganle a mi padre que todavía quedan cinco años de escasez. Si no hacen lo que les digo, quedarán en la completa pobreza ustedes y sus familias. Cuéntenle a mi padre todo el poder que tengo en Egipto y cómo todos me obedecen. Hagan que él venga pronto a verme.
14 Entonces, llorando de gozo, abrazó a Benjamín, y este comenzó a llorar también. 15 Hizo lo mismo con cada uno de sus hermanos. Después de esto, sus hermanos hablaron con él.
16 Y la noticia de que los hermanos de José estaban en Egipto llegó a oídos del faraón. Al saberlo, el faraón y sus funcionarios se alegraron mucho. 17 Entonces el faraón le dijo a José:
―Diles a tus hermanos que carguen sus bestias y vuelvan cuanto antes a sus hogares, en Canaán. 18 Además, diles que traigan a tu padre y a todas sus familias, para que se queden a vivir aquí en Egipto. Yo les daré la mejor tierra, de modo que podrán disfrutar de lo mejor de Egipto. 19 Diles también que lleven consigo carros de Egipto, para que traigan a sus esposas, a sus hijos pequeños y a su padre. 20 Y que no se preocupen por lo que tengan que dejar en su tierra, porque lo mejor de Egipto será de ellos.
21 Entonces José les dio carros, conforme a la orden del faraón. Además les dio provisiones para el viaje y mudas de ropa. 22 Pero a Benjamín le dio cinco mudas de ropa y trescientas monedas de plata. 23 A su padre le envió diez burros cargados con las mejores cosas de Egipto, diez burras cargadas de trigo, y toda clase de alimentos para que comieran durante el viaje. 24 Entonces despidió a sus hermanos.
―No peleen en el camino —les aconsejó al despedirlos.
25 Ellos emprendieron el viaje y regresaron a la tierra de Canaán, donde estaba su padre Jacob.
26 ¡José está vivo! —exclamaron al contárselo—. Es el gobernador de toda la tierra de Egipto.
Jacob se quedó pasmado, y no les creía. 27 Pero cuando le dieron los mensajes de José, y cuando vio los carros cargados de alimentos que José le había enviado, se llenó de alegría.
28 ―¡Les creo! —dijo—. ¡José mi hijo está vivo! ¡Iré y lo veré antes de morir!
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