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.”
Genesis 45
Young's Literal Translation
45 And Joseph hath not been able to refrain himself before all those standing by him, and he calleth, `Put out every man from me;' and no man hath stood with him when Joseph maketh himself known unto his brethren,
2 and he giveth forth his voice in weeping, and the Egyptians hear, and the house of Pharaoh heareth.
3 And Joseph saith unto his brethren, `I [am] Joseph, is my father yet alive?' and his brethren have not been able to answer him, for they have been troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph saith unto his brethren, `Come nigh unto me, I pray you,' and they come nigh; and he saith, `I [am] Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt;
5 and now, be not grieved, nor let it be displeasing in your eyes that ye sold me hither, for to preserve life hath God sent me before you.
6 `Because these two years the famine [is] in the heart of the land, and yet [are] five years, [in] which there is neither ploughing nor harvest;
7 and God sendeth me before you, to place of you a remnant in the land, and to give life to you by a great escape;
8 and now, ye -- ye have not sent me hither, but God, and He doth set me for a father to Pharaoh, and for lord to all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 `Haste, and go up unto my father, then ye have said to him, Thus said Joseph thy son, God hath set me for lord to all Egypt; come down unto me, stay not,
10 and thou hast dwelt in the land of Goshen, and been near unto me, thou and thy sons, and thy son's sons, and thy flock, and thy herd, and all that thou hast,
11 and I have nourished thee there -- for yet [are] five years of famine -- lest thou become poor, thou and thy household, and all that thou hast.
12 `And lo, your eyes are seeing, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that [it is] my mouth which is speaking unto you;
13 and ye have declared to my father all my honour in Egypt, and all that ye have seen, and ye have hasted, and have brought down my father hither.'
14 And he falleth on the neck of Benjamin his brother, and weepeth, and Benjamin hath wept on his neck;
15 and he kisseth all his brethren, and weepeth over them; and afterwards have his brethren spoken with him.
16 And the sound hath been heard in the house of Pharaoh, saying, `Come have the brethren of Joseph;' and it is good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants,
17 and Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, `Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, enter ye the land of Canaan,
18 and take your father, and your households, and come unto me, and I give to you the good of the land of Egypt, and eat ye the fat of the land.
19 `Yea, thou -- thou hast been commanded: this do ye, take for yourselves out of the land of Egypt, waggons for your infants, and for your wives, and ye have brought your father, and come;
20 and your eye hath no pity on your vessels, for the good of all the land of Egypt [is] yours.'
21 And the sons of Israel do so, and Joseph giveth waggons to them by the command of Pharaoh, and he giveth to them provision for the way;
22 to all of them hath he given -- to each changes of garments, and to Benjamin he hath given three hundred silverlings, and five changes of garments;
23 and to his father he hath sent thus: ten asses bearing of the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses bearing corn and bread, even food for his father for the way.
24 And he sendeth his brethren away, and they go; and he saith unto them, `Be not angry in the way.'
25 And they go up out of Egypt, and come in to the land of Canaan, unto Jacob their father,
26 and they declare to him, saying, `Joseph [is] yet alive,' and that he [is] ruler over all the land of Egypt; and his heart ceaseth, for he hath not given credence to them.
27 And they speak unto him all the words of Joseph, which he hath spoken unto them, and he seeth the waggons which Joseph hath sent to bear him away, and live doth the spirit of Jacob their father;
28 and Israel saith, `Enough! Joseph my son [is] yet alive; I go and see him before I die.'
Genesis 45
New Living Translation
Joseph Reveals His Identity
45 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.
3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.[a] 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser[b] to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.
9 “Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! 10 You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. 11 I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’”
12 Then Joseph added, “Look! You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph! 13 Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly.” 14 Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. 15 Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him.
Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt
16 The news soon reached Pharaoh’s palace: “Joseph’s brothers have arrived!” Pharaoh and his officials were all delighted to hear this.
17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan. 18 Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.’”
19 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt to carry your little children and your wives, and bring your father here. 20 Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 So the sons of Jacob[c] did as they were told. Joseph provided them with wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. 22 And he gave each of them new clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and 300 pieces[d] of silver. 23 He also sent his father ten male donkeys loaded with the finest products of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies he would need on his journey.
24 So Joseph sent his brothers off, and as they left, he called after them, “Don’t quarrel about all this along the way!” 25 And they left Egypt and returned to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan.
26 “Joseph is still alive!” they told him. “And he is governor of all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn’t believe it. 27 But when they repeated to Jacob everything Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, their father’s spirits revived.
28 Then Jacob exclaimed, “It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I must go and see him before I die.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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