Genesis 45

Joseph Revealed to His Brothers

45Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him ^awhile Joseph made himself known to his brothers. ²And he ^bwept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.

³Then Joseph said to his brothers, ^c“I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. ⁴And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, ^dwhom you sold into Egypt. ⁵But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; ^efor God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶For these two years the ^ffamine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷And God ^gsent me before you to preserve a ¹posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. ⁸So now it was not you who sent me here, but ^hGod; and He has made me ⁱa father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ^jruler throughout 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, do not ²tarry. ^10kYou shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹There I will ^lprovide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’

¹²“And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is ^mmy mouth that speaks to you. ¹³So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and ⁿbring my father down here.”

¹⁴Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. ¹⁵Moreover he ^okissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.

¹⁶Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. ¹⁷And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat ^pthe ³fat of the land. ¹⁹Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. ²⁰Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

²¹Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them ^qcarts, ⁴according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. ²²He gave to all of them, to each man, ^rchanges of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and ^sfive changes of garments. ²³And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. ²⁴So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”

²⁵Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. ²⁶And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” ^tAnd Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. ²⁷But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit ^uof Jacob their father revived. ²⁸Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”