Genesis 45:1–28

¹At this Joseph was no longer able to control himself before all those who were stationed by him. So he cried out: “HAVE​ everybody go out from me!” And no one else stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

²And he began to raise his voice in weeping, so that the Egyptians got to hear it and Phar′aoh’s house got to hear it.³Finally Joseph said to his brothers: “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were unable to answer him at all, because they were disturbed by reason of him.⁴So Joseph said to his brothers: “Come close to me, please.” With that they came close to him.

Then he said: “I am Joseph ​YOUR​ brother, whom ​YOU​ sold into Egypt.⁵But now do not feel hurt and do not be angry with yourselves because ​YOU​ sold me here; because for the preservation of life God has sent me ahead of ​YOU.⁶For this is the second year of the famine in the midst of the earth, and there are yet five years in which there will be no plowing time or harvest.⁷Consequently God sent me ahead of ​YOU​ in order to place a remnant for ​YOU​ men in the earth and to keep ​YOU​ alive by a great escape.⁸So now it was not ​YOU​ who sent me here, but it was the [true] God, that he might appoint me a father to Phar′aoh and a lord for all his house and as one dominating over all the land of Egypt.

⁹“Go up quickly to my father, and ​YOU​ must say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph has said: “God has appointed me lord for all Egypt. Come down to me. Do not delay.¹⁰And you must dwell in the land of Go′shen, and you must continue near me, you and your sons and the sons of your sons and your flocks and your herds and everything you have.¹¹And I will supply you with food there, for there are yet five years of famine; for fear you and your house and everything you have may come to poverty.”’¹²And here ​YOUR​ eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin are seeing that it is my mouth that is speaking to ​YOU.¹³So ​YOU​ must tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and everything ​YOU​ have seen; and ​YOU​ must hurry and bring my father down here.”

¹⁴Then he fell upon the neck of Benjamin his brother and gave way to weeping, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.¹⁵And he proceeded to kiss all his brothers and to weep over them, and after that his brothers spoke with him.

¹⁶And the news was heard at the house of Phar′aoh, saying: “Joseph’s brothers have come!” And it proved to be good in the eyes of Phar′aoh and of his servants.¹⁷Accordingly Phar′aoh said to Joseph: “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load ​YOUR​ beasts of burden and go enter the land of Ca′naan,¹⁸and take ​YOUR​ father and ​YOUR​ households and come here to me, that I may give ​YOU​ the good of the land of Egypt; and eat the fat part of the land.¹⁹And you yourself are commanded: “Do this: TAKE​ for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for ​YOUR​ little ones and ​YOUR​ wives, and ​YOU​ must lift ​YOUR​ father on one and come here.²⁰And do not let ​YOUR​ eye feel sorry over ​YOUR​ equipment, because the good of all the land of Egypt is ​YOURS.”’”

²¹Following that the sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them wagons according to Phar′aoh’s orders and gave them provisions for the way.²²To each of them he gave individual changes of mantles, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred silver pieces and five changes of mantles.²³And to his father he sent as follows: ten asses carrying good things of Egypt and ten she‐asses carrying grain and bread and sustenance for his father for the way.²⁴Thus he sent his brothers off, and they proceeded to go. However, he said to them: “Do not get exasperated at one another on the way.”

²⁵And they began going up out of Egypt and at length came into the land of Ca′naan to Jacob their father.²⁶Then they reported to him, saying: “Joseph is still alive, and he is the one dominating over all the land of Egypt!” But his heart grew numb, because he did not believe them.²⁷When they went on speaking to him all of Joseph’s words that he had spoken to them and he got to see the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father began to revive.²⁸Then Israel exclaimed: “It is enough! Joseph my son is still alive! Ah, let me go and see him before I die!”