Genesis 45

Revised Geneva Translation

45 Then Joseph could not control himself before all who stood by him; but he cried, “Send everyone away!” And not one remained with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

² And he wept, and cried, so that the Egyptians heard. The house of Pharaoh also heard.

³ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him (for they were astonished at his presence).

⁴ Again, Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” And they came near. And he said, “I am Joseph, your brother; whom you sold into Egypt.

⁵ “Now, therefore, do not be sad or angry with yourselves, that you sold me here. For God sent me before you for your preservation.

⁶ “For now, two years of famine have been through the land; and five years are still to come wherein there shall be neither earing nor harvest.

⁷ “Therefore, God sent me before you to preserve your posterity in this land, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.

⁸ “Now, then, you did not send me here, but God, Who has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

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

¹⁰ ‘And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen and shall be near me (you and your children and your children’s children and your sheep and your beasts and all that you have).

¹¹ ‘Also, I will nourish you there (for there still remains five years of famine), lest you perish through poverty, (you and your household and all that you have).’

¹² “And behold, your eyes see (as do the eyes of my brother, Benjamin) that my mouth speaks to you.

¹³ “Therefore, tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and hurry and bring my father here.”

¹⁴ Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck.

¹⁵ Moreover, he kissed all his brothers, and wept upon them. And afterward, his brothers talked with him.

¹⁶ And the tidings came to Pharaoh’s house, so that they said, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” And it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

¹⁷ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and leave. Go to the land of Canaan.’

¹⁸ “And take your father and your household and come to me; and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt. And you shall eat of the fat of the land.

¹⁹ “And I command you, do this: Take chariots out of the land of Egypt, for your children and for your wives, and bring your father and come.

²⁰ “Also, do not be concerned about your stuff. For the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.”

²¹ And the children of Israel did so. And Joseph gave them chariots, according to the commandment of Pharaoh. He also gave them food for the journey.

²² He gave them all, without exception, a change of clothing. But to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.

²³ And to his father, also, he sent ten male donkeys, loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys, loaded with wheat and bread and meat for his father along the way.

²⁴ So, he sent his brothers away; and they departed. And he said to them, “Do not argue on the way.”

²⁵ Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan (to Jacob, their father)

²⁶ and told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive! And he is also governor over all the land of Egypt!” And Jacob’s heart failed, for he did not believe them.

²⁷ And they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said to them. But when he saw the chariots which Joseph had sent to carry him, then the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived.

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