Genesis 45

Joseph Makes Himself Known

45Then Joseph could no longer control himselfⁱ before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!”^j So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ²And he wept^k so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.^l

³Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”^m But his brothers were not able to answer him,ⁿ because they were terrified at his presence.^o

⁴Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”^p When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!^{q 5}And now, do not be distressed^r and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,^s because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.^{t 6}For two years now there has been famine^u in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant^v on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.^aw

⁸“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.^x He made me father^y to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.^{z 9}Now hurry^a 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.^{b 10}You shall live in the region of Goshen^c and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.^{d 11}I will provide for you there,^e because five years of famine^f are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’^g

¹²“You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin,^h that it is really I who am speaking to you.^{i 13}Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt^j and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.^k”

¹⁴Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin^l embraced him,^m weeping. ¹⁵And he kissedⁿ all his brothers and wept over them.^o Afterward his brothers talked with him.^p

¹⁶When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,^q Pharaoh and all his officials^r were pleased.^{s 17}Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals^t and return to the land of Canaan,^{u 18}and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt^v and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’^w

¹⁹“You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts^x from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. ²⁰Never mind about your belongings,^y because the best of all Egypt^z will be yours.’ ”

²¹So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,^a as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.^{b 22}To each of them he gave new clothing,^c but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels^b of silver and five sets of clothes.^{d 23}And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys^e loaded with the best things^f of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.^{g 24}Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”^h

²⁵So they went up out of Egyptⁱ and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.^{j 26}They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”^k Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.^{l 27}But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts^m Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. ²⁸And Israel said, “I’m convinced!ⁿ My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”^o