Genesis 45
Joseph Sends for Jacob
45Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he called out, “Have everyone go out from me.” So there 1was no man with him awhen Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2aThen he 1wept loudly. And the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3Then Joseph said to his brothers, “aI am Joseph! bIs my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for cthey were terrified at his presence.
4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” And they came near. And he said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you asold into Egypt. 5“So now do not be grieved or angry 1with yourselves because ayou sold me here, for bGod sent me before you to preserve life. 6“For the famine has been in the land athese two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7“aSo God sent me before you to establish for you a remnant in the earth and to keep you alive for a great remnant of survivors. 8“So now, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has set me as a afather to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9“Hurry and go up to my father, and asay to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has set me as lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10“And you shall 1live in the land of aGoshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11“There I will also aprovide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, lest you and your household and all that you have be impoverished.”’ 12“And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13“So you must tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and abring my father down here.” 14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and awept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.
16Now athe 1news was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” And it was good in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and 1go to the land of Canaan, 18and take your father and your households and come to me, and aI will give you the 1best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19“Now you are commanded, ‘Do this: 1take awagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20‘Now do not 1concern yourselves with your goods, for the 2best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them awagons according to the 1command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22To 1each of them he gave achanges of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and bfive changes of garments. 23Now to his father he sent 1as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the 2best things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father 3on the journey.
24So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. And he said to them, “Do not be stirred up on the journey.” 25Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But 1his heart was stunned, for ahe did not believe them. 27Yet they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and he saw the awagons that Joseph had sent to carry him. Then the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28And Israel said, “It is enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”