Genesis 45

₁Joseph could no longer stop himself from crying. He told all the other people to go away from him, and only his brothers stayed with him. Then he told his brothers who he was. ₂He cried so loudly that the Egyptian people heard him in Pharaoh's house. ₃Joseph said to his brothers: ‘I am Joseph. Is Father still_alive?’ His brothers could not answer him because they were afraid of him.

₄And Joseph said to his brothers: ‘Please come closer to me.’ They came, and he told them: ‘I am Joseph your brother. You sold me to merchants and they brought me here to Egypt. ₅Do not feel bad or angry with yourselves because you sold me. God sent me before you to come here so that I can save a lot of people's lives. ₆It is now the 2nd year that there has been a famine in the land. There will be a famine for another 5 years. It will be so dry that people will not be able to plough and plant. ₇God sent me before you to help you and some of your people in the land to stay alive. He sent me so that I can save a lot of people. ₈It was not you who sent me to come here. It was God. He chose me to tell Pharaoh what he must do. I am also the chief of Pharaoh's house and the ruler of all the people in Egypt.

₉Go to Father immediately and tell him his son Joseph says: “God has made me ruler over all of Egypt. Father, you must come to me. Do not wait. ₁₀You can stay in Goshen and be near me, you and your children and your grandchildren, your sheep, goats and cattle, and everything that belongs to you. ₁₁Then I can care for you, because there will be a famine for another 5 years. If you come to me, then you and your sons and everyone with you will not become poor.” ’

₁₂Joseph said to his brothers: ‘You and Benjamin can see that it is I, Joseph, speaking to you. ₁₃Go and tell Father that I am an important man in Egypt. Tell him everything that you see here and hurry up. Bring Father to me.’

₁₄Joseph put his arms around his brother Benjamin's neck and he cried. Benjamin hugged Joseph and he also cried. ₁₅Joseph kissed all his brothers and he stood with them and they all cried. After that, his brothers talked to him.

₁₆They told the people in Pharaoh's house: ‘Joseph's brothers have come here.’ Pharaoh and his officials were happy about it. ₁₇Pharaoh said to Joseph: ‘Tell your brothers they must come and live here in Egypt. They must put their things on their donkeys and take food to their people in Canaan. ₁₈They must go and get their father and their families and they must come to me. I will give them the best place in Egypt and they will have everything that Egypt can give them. ₁₉Your brothers must take wagons from Egypt for their children and wives. Your father must also ride on a wagon and come here. ₂₀They must not be sad about the things that they will leave in Canaan because they will get the best things here in Egypt.’

₂₁Jacob's sons did what Pharaoh said. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh said and also food for their journey. ₂₂He gave each one of them new clothes, but he gave Benjamin 300 pieces_of_silver and 5 times more clothes. ₂₃Joseph sent gifts to his father with 10 donkeys to carry them all. They were the best things from Egypt. He also sent 10 donkey mares with wheat, bread and food. This was food for his father. ₂₄Joseph sent his brothers back to Canaan and he told them: ‘Do not argue or fight on your way back.’

₂₅They went from Egypt and they came to their father Jacob in Canaan. ₂₆They told him that Joseph was still_alive and that he was the ruler over all of Egypt. Jacob was afraid and very upset. He did not believe them. ₂₇Jacob's sons told their father everything that Joseph had said. When Jacob saw the wagons that Joseph had sent him to ride on, he became very happy ₂₈and he said: ‘I am so happy. My son Joseph is still_alive. I want to go and see him before I die.’