Chapter 45
1 Then Joseph couldn’t control himself before all those who stood before him , and he called out , " Cause everyone to go out from me !" No one else stood with him , while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2 He wept aloud . The Egyptians heard , and the house of Pharaoh heard .
3 Joseph said to his brothers, " I am Joseph ! Does my father still live ?" His brothers couldn’t answer him ; for they were terrified at his presence .
4 Joseph said to his brothers, " Come near to me , please ." They came near . He said, " I am Joseph , your brother, whom you sold into Egypt .
5 Now don’t be grieved , nor angry with yourselves , that you sold me here , for God sent me before you to preserve life .
6 For these two years the famine has been in the land , and there are yet five years , in which there will be no ploughing and no harvest .
7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance .
8 So now it wasn’t you who sent me here , but God , and he has made me a father to Pharaoh , lord of all his house , and ruler over all the land of Egypt .
9 Hurry , and go up 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 . Don’t wait .
10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen , and you will be near to me , you , your children , your children ’s children , your flocks , your herds , and all that you have .
11 There I will provide for you ; for there are yet five years of famine ; lest you come to poverty , you , and your household , and all that you have ."’
12 Behold , your eyes see , and the eyes of my brother Benjamin , that it is my mouth that speaks to you .
13 You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt , and of all that you have seen . You shall hurry and bring my father down here ."
14 He fell on his brother Benjamin ’s neck and wept , and Benjamin wept on his neck .
15 He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them . After that his brothers talked with him .
16 The report of it was heard in Pharaoh ’s house , saying , " Joseph ’s brothers have come." It pleased Pharaoh well , and his servants .
17 Pharaoh said to Joseph , "Tell your brothers, ‘ Do this : Load your animals, and go , travel to the land of Canaan .
18 Take your father and your households , and come to me , and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt , and you will eat the fat of the land.’
19 Now you are commanded to do this : Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones , and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 Also , don’t concern yourselves about your belongings, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours."
21 The sons of Israel did so . Joseph gave them wagons , according to the commandment of Pharaoh , and gave them provision for the way .
22 He gave each one of them changes of clothing , but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing .
23 He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt , and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way .
24 So he sent his brothers away , and they departed . He said to them , "See that you don’t quarrel on the way ."
25 They went up out of Egypt , and came into the land of Canaan , to Jacob their father.
26 They told him , saying, " Joseph is still alive , and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt ." His heart fainted , for he didn’t believe them .
27 They told him all the words of Joseph , which he had said to them . When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him , the spirit of Jacob , their father, revived .
28 Israel said, " It is enough . Joseph my son is still alive . I will go and see him before I die ."