Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
Genesis 45Then Joseph couldn’t control himself before all those who stood before him, and he called out, “Y’all make everyone leave my presence!” No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Does my father still live?”
His brothers couldn’t answer him; for they were terrified at his presence. Joseph said to his brothers, “Please y’all, come close to me.”
Then they came near. He said, “I am Joseph, y’all’s brother, whom y’all sold into Egypt. Now don’t be grieved, nor angry with yourselves*, that y’all sold me here becuase it was to preserve life that God sent me before y’all. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be no plowing and no harvest. God sent me before y’all to preserve for y’all a remnant in the earth, and to keep y’all alive by a great deliverance. So now it wasn’t y’all who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Now y’all hurry and go up to my father, and y’all tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me and don’t delay. You will dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children’s children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine. Otherwise, you will become destitute, you, and your household, and all that you have.”’ Look! Y’all’s eyes can see, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really me speaking to y’all. Y’all must tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that y’all have seen. Y’all must hurry and bring my father down here.” He threw his arms around his brother Benjamin’s wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.
The report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Y’all do this: Load y’all’s animals, and go, travel to the land of Canaan. Take y’all’s father and y’all’s households, and come to me, and I will give y’all the good of the land of Egypt, and y’all will eat the fat of the land.’ Now y’all are commanded to do this: take wagons out of the land of Egypt for y’all’s little ones, and for y’all’s wives, and bring y’all’s father, and come. Also, don’t concern yourselves* about y’all’s belongings, for the good of all the land of Egypt is y’all’s.”
The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. He gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way. So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “Y’all don’t quarrel on the way!”
They went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father. They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t believe them. They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived. Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”