Joseph Tells His Brothers Who He Is
1 Since Joseph could no longer control his feelings in front of his servants, he sent them out of the room. When he was alone with his brothers, he told them, “I am Joseph.” 2 Then he cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him and told about it in the king's palace.
3 Joseph asked his brothers if his father was still alive, but they were too frightened to answer. 4 Joseph told them to come closer to him, and when they did, he said:
Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. 5 Don't worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.
6 There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plow fields or harvest grain. 7 But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way. 8 After all, you weren't really the ones who sent me here—it was God. He made me the highest official in the king's court and placed me over all Egypt.
9 Now hurry back and tell my father that his son Joseph says, “God has made me ruler of Egypt. Come here as quickly as you can. 10 You will live near me in the region of Goshen with your children and grandchildren, as well as with your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. 11 I will take care of you there during the next five years of famine. But if you don't come, you and your family and your animals will starve to death.”
12 All of you, including my brother Benjamin, can tell by what I have said that I really am Joseph. 13 Tell my father about my great power here in Egypt and about everything you have seen. Hurry and bring him here.
14 Joseph and Benjamin hugged each other and started crying. 15 Joseph was still crying as he kissed each of his other brothers. After this, they started talking with Joseph.
16 When it was told in the palace that Joseph's brothers had come, the king and his officials were happy. 17 So the king said to Joseph:
Tell your brothers to load their donkeys and return to Canaan. 18 Tell them to bring their father and their families here. I will give them the best land in Egypt, and they can eat and enjoy everything that grows there. 19 Also tell your brothers to take some wagons from Egypt for their wives and children to ride in. And be sure they bring their father. 20 They can leave their possessions behind, because they will be given the best of everything in Egypt.
21 Jacob's sons agreed to do what the king had said. And Joseph gave them wagons and food for their trip home, just as the king had ordered. 22 Joseph gave some new clothes to each of his brothers, but to Benjamin he gave five new outfits and 300 pieces of silver. 23 To his father he sent ten donkeys loaded with the best things in Egypt, and ten other donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other food for the return trip. 24 Then he sent his brothers off and told them, “Don't argue on the way home!”
25 Joseph's brothers left Egypt, and when they arrived in Canaan, 26 they told their father that Joseph was still alive and was the ruler of Egypt. But their father was so surprised that he could not believe them. 27 Then they told him everything Joseph had said. When he saw the wagons Joseph had sent, he felt much better 28 and said, “Now I can believe you! My son Joseph must really be alive, and I will get to see him before I die.”
1 Then Ioseph could not refraine him selfe before all that stoode by him, but hee cryed, Haue forth euery man from me. And there taryed not one with him, while Ioseph vttered himselfe vnto his brethren. 2 And hee wept and cried, so that the Egyptians heard: the house of Pharaoh heard also. 3 Then Ioseph sayde to his brethren, I am Ioseph: doeth my father yet liue? But his brethren coulde not answere him, for they were astonished at his presence. 4 Againe, Ioseph sayde to his brethren, Come neere, I pray you, to mee. And they came neere. And he sayde, I am Ioseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Nowe therefore be not sad, neither grieued with your selues, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you for your preseruation. 6 For nowe two yeeres of famine haue bene through ye land, and fiue yeeres are behind, wherein neither shalbe earing nor haruest. 7 Wherefore God sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land, and to saue you aliue by a great deliuerance. 8 Now the you sent not me hither, but God, who hath made mee a father vnto Pharaoh, and lorde of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9 Haste you and go vp to my father, and tel him, Thus saieth thy sonne Ioseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come downe to me, tary not. 10 And thou shalt dwel in ye land of Goshen, and shalt be neere me, thou and thy children, and thy childrens children, and thy sheepe, and thy beastes, and all that thou hast. 11 Also I will nourish thee there (for yet remaine fiue yeeres of famine) lest thou perish through pouertie, thou and thy houshold, and all that thou hast. 12 And behold, your eyes doe see, and the eyes of my brother Beniamin, that my mouth speaketh to you. 13 Therefore tel my father of al mine honour in Egypt, and of all that ye haue seene, and make haste, and bring my father hither. 14 Then hee fell on his brother Beniamins necke, and wept, and Beniamin wept on his necke. 15 Moreouer, he kissed all his brethren, and wept vpon them: and afterwarde his brethren talked with him. 16 And the tidinges came vnto Pharaohs house, so that they said, Iosephs brethre are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his seruants. 17 Then Pharaoh said vnto Ioseph, Say to thy brethren, This doe ye, lade your beastes and depart, go to the land of Canaan, 18 And take your father, and your houshoulds, and come to me, and I wil giue you the best of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eate of the fat of the land. 19 And I commaund thee, Thus doe ye, take you charets out of the lande of Egypt for your children, and for your wiues, and bring your father and come. 20 Also regarde not your stuffe: for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours. 21 And the children of Israel did so: and Ioseph gaue them charets according to the commandement of Pharaoh: hee gaue them vitaile also for the iourney. 22 He gaue them all, none except, change of raiment: but vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundreth pieces of siluer, and fiue sutes of raiment. 23 And vnto his father likewise hee sent ten hee asses laden with the best things of Egypt, and ten shee asses laden with wheate, and bread and meate for his father by the way. 24 So sent he his brethren away, and they departed: and he sayde vnto them, Fall not out by the way. 25 Then they went vp from Egypt, and came vnto the land of Canaan vnto Iaakob their father, 26 And tolde him, saying, Ioseph is yet aliue, and he also is gouernour ouer all the lande of Egypt, and Iaakobs heart failed: for he beleeued them not. 27 And they told him al the words of Ioseph, which he had said vnto the: but when he saw the charets, which Ioseph had sent to cary him, then the spirit of Iaakob their father reuiued. 28 And Israel said, I haue inough: Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue: I will go and see him yer I die.