Genesis 45

Joseph Deals Kindly with His Brothers

1Then Joseph could not control himself in front of everyone standing before him, and he shouted, “Have everyone leave me!” So there 1was no one with him 2when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2Then 3he 4wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard about it. 3And Joseph said to his brothers, “5I am Joseph! 6Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for 7they were terrified in 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 to Egypt. 5Now do not be grieved or angry 11with yourselves because 12you sold me here, for 13God sent me ahead of you 14to save lives. 6For the famine has been in the land 15these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7So 16God sent me ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on the earth, and to 17keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a 18father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9Hurry and go up to my father, and 19say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10For you shall live in the land of 20Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your 21grandchildren, and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11There I will also 22provide 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 23bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and 24wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15And he kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

16Now when 25the 26news was heard in Pharaoh’s house 27that Joseph’s brothers had come, it 28pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your livestock and 29go to the land of Canaan, 18and take your father and your households and come to me; and 30I will give you the 31best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: 32take 33wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20And do not 34concern yourselves with your property, for the 35best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

21Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them 36wagons according to the 37command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22To 38each of them he gave 39changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and 40five changes of garments. 23And to his father he sent 41the following: ten male donkeys loaded with the 42best things of Egypt, ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and sustenance for his father 43on the journey.

24So he sent his brothers away, and 44as they departed, he said to them, “Do not 45quarrel on the journey.” 25Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob. 26And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But 46he was stunned, for 47he did not believe them. 27When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the 48wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, then 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.”