Genesis 45

Joseph Deals Kindly with His Brothers

1Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, “Have everyone go out from me.” So there 1was no man with him 2when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 23He 4wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. 3Then Joseph said to his brothers, “5I am Joseph! 6Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for 7they were dismayed at his presence.

4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come 8closer to me.” And they came 9closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you 10sold into Egypt. 5Now do not be grieved or angry 11with yourselves, because 12you sold me here, for 13God sent me before you to preserve life. 6For the famine has been in the land 14these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 715God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great 16deliverance. 8Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a 17father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9Hurry and go up to my father, and 18say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10You shall 19live in the land of 20Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11There I will also 21provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.”’ 12Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and 22bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and 23wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

16Now when 24the 25news was heard in Pharaoh’s house 26that Joseph’s brothers had come, it 27pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and 28go to the land of Canaan, 18and take your father and your households and come to me, and 29I will give you the 30best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: 31take 32wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20Do not 33concern yourselves with your goods, for the 34best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

21Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them 35wagons according to the 36command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22To 37each of them he gave 38changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and 39five changes of garments. 23To his father he sent 40as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the 41best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father 42on the journey.

24So he sent his brothers away, and 43as they departed, he said to them, “Do not 44quarrel on the journey.” 25Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But 45he was stunned, for 46he did not believe them. 27When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the 47wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28Then Israel said, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”