45
1 And Joseph could not refrain himself when all were standing by him, but said, Dismiss all from me; and no one stood near Joseph, when he made himself known to his brethren. 2 And he uttered his voice with weeping; and all the Egyptians heard, and it was reported to the house of Pharao. 3 And Joseph said to his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled. 4 And Joseph said to his brethren, Draw nigh to me; and they drew nigh; and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now then be not grieved, and let it not seem hard to you that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you for life. 6 For this second year there is famine on the earth, and there are yet five years remaining, in which there is to be neither ploughing, nor mowing. 7 For God sent me before you, that there might be left to you a remnant upon the earth, even to nourish a great remnant of you. 8 Now then ye did not send me hither, but God; and he hath made me as a father of Pharao, and lord of all his house, and ruler of all the land of Egypt. 9 Hasten, therefore, and go up to my father, and say to him, These things saith thy son Joseph; God has made me lord of all the land of Egypt; come down therefore to me, and tarry not. 10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Gesem of Arabia; and thou shalt be near me, thou and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, thy sheep and thine oxen, and whatsoever things are thine. 11 And I will nourish thee there: for the famine is yet for five years; lest thou be consumed, and thy sons, and all thy possessions. 12 Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 Report, therefore, to my father all my glory in Egypt, and all things that ye have seen, and make haste and bring down my father hither. 14 And he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept on him; and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brethren, and wept on them; and after these things his brethren spoke to him.
16 And the report was carried into the house of Pharao, saying, Joseph's brethren are come; and Pharao was glad, and his household. 17 And Pharao said to Joseph, Say to thy brethren, Do this; fill your waggons, and depart into the land of Chanaan. 18 And take up your father, and your possessions, and come to me; and I will give you of all the goods of Egypt, and ye shall eat the marrow of the land. 19 And do thou charge them thus; that they should take for them waggons out of the land of Egypt, for your little ones, and for your wives; and take up your father, and come. 20 And be not sparing in regard to your property, for all the good of Egypt shall be yours. 21 And the children of Israel did so; and Joseph gave to them waggons, according to the words spoken by king Pharao; and he gave them provision for the journey. 22 And he gave to them all two sets of raiment apiece; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of gold, and five changes of raiment. 23 And to his father he sent presents at the same rate, and ten asses, bearing some of all the good things of Egypt, and ten mules, bearing bread for his father for the journey. 24 And he sent away his brethren, and they went; and he said to them, Be not angry by the way. 25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Chanaan, to Jacob their father. 26 And they reported to him, saying, Thy son Joseph is living, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt; and Jacob was *amazed, for he did not believe them. 27 But they spoke to him all the words uttered by Joseph, whatsoever he said to them; and having seen the chariots which Joseph sent to take him up, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. 28 And Israel said, It is a great thing for me if Joseph my son is yet alive, I will go and see him before I die.
* 45:26 Gr. amazed in mind.