Genesis 45

Modern

Literal

Joseph Reveals His Identity

¹Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!”

So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.

¹And Joseph was not able to restrain himself before all those who were standing by him, and he cried out, “Make go out every man from me!” And no man stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

²But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household soon heard of it.

²And he gave his voice in weeping, and Egypt heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.

³Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?”

But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.

³And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” And his brothers were not able to answer him, for they were terrified in his presence.

⁴Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so.

“I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt!

⁴And Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near, and he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

⁵And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.

⁵And now, do not be grieved and let it not burn in your eyes that you sold me here, for to preserve life God sent me before you.

⁶For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.

⁶For these two years the famine has been in the midst of the earth, and there are still five years in which there is no plowing and harvesting.

⁷God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.^a

⁷And God sent me before you to make for you a remnant in the earth, and to give life to you by a great deliverance.

⁸Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

⁸And now, you have not sent me here, but God. And He has made me for a father to Pharaoh, and for a lord of all his house, and ruler in all the land of Egypt.

Joseph Sends for His Father

⁹Now return quickly to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay.

⁹Hurry and go up to my father and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Joseph your son: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay.

¹⁰You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own.

¹⁰And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me—you and your sons, and the sons of your sons, and your flock and your herd, and all that is yours.

¹¹And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.’

¹¹And I will provide for you there, for there are still five years of famine, lest you come to poverty—you and your house and all that is yours.’

¹²Behold! You and my brother Benjamin can see that I, Joseph, am the one speaking with you.

¹²And behold, your eyes are seeing, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that my mouth is the one speaking to you.

¹³Tell my father about all my splendor in Egypt and everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”

¹³And you shall tell to my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. And you shall hurry and bring down my father here.”

¹⁴Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced.

¹⁴And he fell on the necks of Benjamin his brother and wept, and Benjamin wept on his necks.

¹⁵Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.

¹⁵And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. And after that his brothers spoke with him.

Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt

¹⁶When the news reached Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and his servants were pleased.

¹⁶And the sound was heard in the house of Pharaoh, saying, “The brothers of Joseph have come.” And it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants.

¹⁷Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do as follows: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan.

¹⁷And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart. Go to the land of Canaan,

¹⁸Then bring your father and your families and return to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat from the fat of the land.’

¹⁸and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give to you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’

¹⁹You are also directed to tell them: ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your young children and your wives, and bring your father and come back.

¹⁹And you—you have been commanded, ‘Do this: Take for yourselves from the land of Egypt carts for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

²⁰But pay no regard to your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

²⁰And let your eye not grieve over your vessels, for the good of all the land of Egypt—it is yours.’”

²¹So the sons of Israel did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.

²¹And the sons of Israel did so. And Joseph gave to them carts, according to the mouth of Pharaoh, and he gave to them provisions for the journey.

²²He gave new garments to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver^a and five sets of clothes.

²²To all of them he gave—to each man—changes of garments, and to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of garments.

²³And he sent to his father the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provisions for his father’s journey.

²³And to his father he sent this: Ten donkeys carrying the good of Egypt, and ten female donkeys carrying grain and bread and food for his father for the journey.

²⁴Then Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way!”

²⁴And he sent away his brothers, and they departed, and he said to them, “Do not be shaken along the way.”

The Revival of Jacob

²⁵So the brothers went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.

²⁵And they went up out of Egypt and they came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father,

²⁶“Joseph is still alive,” they said, “and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!”

But Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them.

²⁶and they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive! And he is ruling in all the land of Egypt.” And his heart went numb for he did not believe them.

²⁷However, when they relayed all that Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob was revived.

²⁷And they spoke to him all the words that Joseph had said to them, and he saw the carts that Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

²⁸“Enough!” declared Israel. “My son Joseph is still alive! I will go to see him before I die.”

²⁸And Israel said, “Enough! Joseph my son is still alive! I will go and I will see him before I die.”