Joseph Makes Himself Known

45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself^(A) before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!”^(B) So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept^(C) so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.^(D)

³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”^(E) But his brothers were not able to answer him,^(F) because they were terrified at his presence.^(G)

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”^(H) When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!^{(I) 5} And now, do not be distressed^(J) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,^(K) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.^{(L) 6} For two years now there has been famine^(M) in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant^(N) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.^[a](O)

⁸ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.^(P) He made me father^(Q) to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.^{(R) 9} Now hurry^(S) back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay.^{(T) 10} You shall live in the region of Goshen^(U) and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.^{(V) 11} I will provide for you there,^(W) because five years of famine^(X) are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’^(Y)

¹² “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin,^(Z) that it is really I who am speaking to you.^{(AA) 13} Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt^(AB) and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.^(AC)”

¹⁴ Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin^(AD) embraced him,^(AE) weeping. ¹⁵ And he kissed^(AF) all his brothers and wept over them.^(AG) Afterward his brothers talked with him.^(AH)

¹⁶ When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,^(AI) Pharaoh and all his officials^(AJ) were pleased.^{(AK) 17} Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals^(AL) and return to the land of Canaan,^{(AM) 18} and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt^(AN) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’^(AO)

¹⁹ “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts^(AP) from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. ²⁰ Never mind about your belongings,^(AQ) because the best of all Egypt^(AR) will be yours.’”

²¹ So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,^(AS) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.^{(AT) 22} To each of them he gave new clothing,^(AU) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels^[b] of silver and five sets of clothes.^{(AV) 23} And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys^(AW) loaded with the best things^(AX) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.^{(AY) 24} Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”^(AZ)

²⁵ So they went up out of Egypt^(BA) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.^{(BB) 26} They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”^(BC) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.^{(BD) 27} But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts^(BE) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. ²⁸ And Israel said, “I’m convinced!^(BF) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”^(BG)

Jacob Blesses His Sons^(A)

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.^(B)

²⁸ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,^(BY) and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing^(BZ) appropriate to him.

The Death of Jacob

²⁹ Then he gave them these instructions:^(CA) “I am about to be gathered to my people.^(CB) Bury me with my fathers^(CC) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,^{(CD) 30} the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(CE) near Mamre^(CF) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field^(CG) as a burial place^(CH) from Ephron the Hittite. ³¹ There Abraham^(CI) and his wife Sarah^(CJ) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah^(CK) were buried, and there I buried Leah.^{(CL) 32} The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.^[p](CM)”

³³ When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.^(CN)

50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.^{(CO) 2} Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,^{(CP) 3} taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.^(CQ)

⁴ When the days of mourning^(CR) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,^(CS) “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(CT) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ⁵ ‘My father made me swear an oath^(CU) and said, “I am about to die;^(CV) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself^(CW) in the land of Canaan.”^(CX) Now let me go up and bury my father;^(CY) then I will return.’”

⁶ Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials^(CZ) accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court^(DA) and all the dignitaries of Egypt— ⁸ besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household.^(DB) Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.^{(DC) 9} Chariots^(DD) and horsemen^[q] also went up with him. It was a very large company.

¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor^(DE) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;^(DF) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period^(DG) of mourning^(DH) for his father.^{(DI) 11} When the Canaanites^(DJ) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”^(DK) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.^[r]

¹² So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:^{(DL) 13} They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(DM) near Mamre,^(DN) which Abraham had bought along with the field^(DO) as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.^{(DP) 14} After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.^(DQ)

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge^(DR) against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”^{(DS) 16} So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions^(DT) before he died: ¹⁷ ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins^(DU) and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’^(DV) Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.^(DW)” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.^(DX)

¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.^(DY) “We are your slaves,”^(DZ) they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?^{(EA) 20} You intended to harm me,^(EB) but God intended^(EC) it for good^(ED) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.^{(EE) 21} So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.^(EF)” And he reassured them and spoke kindly^(EG) to them.

The Death of Joseph

²² Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years^{(EH) 23} and saw the third generation^(EI) of Ephraim’s^(EJ) children.^(EK) Also the children of Makir^(EL) son of Manasseh^(EM) were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.^[s](EN)

²⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die.^(EO) But God will surely come to your aid^(EP) and take you up out of this land to the land^(EQ) he promised on oath to Abraham,^(ER) Isaac^(ES) and Jacob.”^{(ET) 25} And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath^(EU) and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones^(EV) up from this place.”^(EW)

²⁶ So Joseph died^(EX) at the age of a hundred and ten.^(EY) And after they embalmed him,^(EZ) he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.