45 1 Joseph maketh himself known to his brethren. 8 He showeth that all was done by God’s providence. 18 Pharaoh commandeth him to send for his father. 24 Joseph exhorteth his brethren to concord.
1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all that stood by him, but he cried, [a]Have forth every man from me. And there tarried not one with him, while Joseph uttered himself unto his brethren.
2 And he wept, and cried, so that the Egyptians heard: the house of Pharaoh heard also.
3 Then Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph: doth my father yet live? But his brethren could not answer him, for they were astonished at his presence.
4 Again, Joseph said to his brethren, Come near, I pray you, to me. And they came near. And he said, (A)I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not [b]sad, neither grieved with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: (B)For God did send me before you for your preservation.
6 For now two years of famine have been through the land, and five years are behind, wherein neither shall be earing nor harvest.
7 Wherefore 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 sent not me hither, but [c]God, who hath made me a father unto Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 Haste you and go up to my father, and tell him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down to me, tarry not.
10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and shalt be near me, thou and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy sheep, and thy beasts, and all that thou hast.
11 Also I will nourish thee there (for yet remain five years of famine) lest thou perish through poverty, thou and thy household, and all that thou hast.
12 And behold, your eyes do see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that [d]my mouth speaketh to you.
13 Therefore tell my father of all mine honor in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen, and make haste, and bring my father hither.
14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.
15 Moreover, he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and afterward his brethren talked with him.
16 ¶ And the [e]tidings came to Pharaoh’s house, so that they said, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to thy brethren, This do ye, laid your beasts and depart, go to the land of Canaan,
18 And take your father, and your household, and come to me, and I will give you the [f]best of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat of the [g]fat of the land.
19 And I command thee, Thus do ye, take you chariots out of the land of Egypt for your children, and for your wives, and bring your father and come.
20 Also [h]regard not 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 gave them vittles also for the journey.
22 He gave them all, none except, change of raiment: but unto Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five suits of raiment.
23 And unto his father [i]likewise he sent ten he asses laden with the best things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with wheat, and bread and meat for his father by the way.
24 So sent he his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, [j]Fall not out by the way.
25 Then they went up from Egypt, and came unto the land of Canaan, unto Jacob their father,
26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he also is governor over all the land of Egypt, and Jacob’s heart [k]failed: for he believed them not.
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto 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 yet alive: I will go and see him yet I die.
Footnotes
- Genesis 45:1 Not that he was ashamed of his kindred, but that he would cover his brethren’s fault.
- Genesis 45:5 This example teacheth that we must by all means comfort them, which are truly humbled and wounded for their sins.
- Genesis 45:8 Albeit God detest sin, yet he turneth man’s wickedness to serve to his glory.
- Genesis 45:12 That is, that I speak in your own language, and have none interpreter.
- Genesis 45:16 Hebrew, voice.
- Genesis 45:18 The most plentiful ground.
- Genesis 45:18 The chiefest fruits and commodities.
- Genesis 45:20 Hebrew, let not your eyes spare your vessel.
- Genesis 45:23 Or, he sent as much, to wit, silver as verse 22, and ten asses.
- Genesis 45:24 Seeing he had remitted the fault done toward him, he would not that they should accuse one another.
- Genesis 45:26 As one between hope and fear.