45

Joseph Revealed to His Brothers

¹Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him ⚓while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. ²And he ⚓wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.
³Then Joseph said to his brothers, ⚓“I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. ⁴And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, ⚓whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; ⚓for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶For these two years the ⚓famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷And God ⚓sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. ⁸So now it was not you who sent me here, but ⚓God; and He has made me ⚓a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ⚓ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
⁹“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. ¹⁰⚓You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹There I will ⚓provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’
¹²“And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is⚓my mouth that speaks to you. ¹³So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and ⚓bring my father down here.”
¹⁴Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. ¹⁵Moreover he ⚓kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
¹⁶Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. ¹⁷And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat ⚓the fat of the land. ¹⁹Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. ²⁰Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
²¹Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them ⚓carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. ²²He gave to all of them, to each man, ⚓changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and ⚓five changes of garments. ²³And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. ²⁴So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”
²⁵Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. ²⁶And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” ⚓And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. ²⁷But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit ⚓of Jacob their father revived. ²⁸Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

45

约瑟和兄弟相认

¹约瑟在所有侍立在他旁边的人面前情不自禁，就喊叫说：“每一个人都离开我，出去吧！”约瑟和兄弟相认的时候没有一人站在他那里。 ²他放声大哭，埃及人听见了，法老家中的人也听见了。 ³约瑟对他兄弟们说：“我就是约瑟。我的父亲还在吗？”他兄弟们不敢回答他，因为他们在他面前都很惊惶。
⁴约瑟又对他兄弟们说：“靠近我一点。”他们就近前来。他说：“我是被你们卖到埃及的兄弟约瑟。 ⁵现在，不要因为把我卖到这里而忧伤，对自己生气，因为上帝差我在你们以先来，为要保全性命。 ⁶现在这地的饥荒已经二年了，还有五年不能耕种，没有收成。 ⁷上帝差我在你们以先来，为要给你们在世上存留余种，大施拯救，保全你们的性命。 ⁸这样看来，差我到这里来的不是你们，而是上帝。他又使我如同法老之父，作他全家之主，和埃及全地掌权的人。 ⁹你们要赶紧上到我父亲那里，对他说：‘你儿子约瑟这样说：上帝已立我作全埃及之主，请你下到我这里来，不要耽搁。 ¹⁰你和你的儿子孙子，羊群牛群，以及一切所有的，都可以住在歌珊地，与我相近。 ¹¹我要在那里奉养你，因为还有五年的饥荒，免得你和你的家属，以及一切所有的，都陷入穷困中。’ ¹²看哪，你们的眼睛和我弟弟便雅悯的眼睛都看见，是我亲口对你们说话。 ¹³你们要把我在埃及一切的尊荣和你们所有看见的事情都告诉我父亲，也要赶紧请我父亲下到这里来。” ¹⁴于是约瑟伏在他弟弟便雅悯的颈项上哭，便雅悯也在他的颈项上哭。 ¹⁵他又亲众兄弟，伏着他们哭。过后，他的兄弟就和他说话。
¹⁶这消息传到法老的宫里，说：“约瑟的兄弟们来了。”法老和他的臣仆眼中都看为好。 ¹⁷法老对约瑟说：“你要吩咐你的兄弟们说：‘你们要这样做：把驮子抬在牲口上，动身到迦南地去， ¹⁸请你们的父亲和你们的家属都到我这里来，我要把埃及地的美物赐给你们，你们也要吃这地肥美的出产。’ ¹⁹你要吩咐他们：‘要这样做：从埃及地带着车辆去，把你们的孩子和妻子，以及你们的父亲都接来。 ²⁰你们的眼不要顾惜你们的家具，因为埃及全地的美物都是你们的。’”
²¹以色列的儿子们就照样做了。约瑟遵照法老的吩咐，给他们车辆和路上需用的食物。 ²²他又给所有哥哥每人一套衣服，却给便雅悯三百银子，五套衣服。 ²³他也送给父亲十匹公驴，驮着埃及的美物，以及十匹母驴，驮着给他父亲在路上需用的谷物、饼和粮食。 ²⁴于是约瑟送他的兄弟们回去，对他们说：“你们不要在路上争吵。”
²⁵他们从埃及上去，来到迦南地他们的父亲雅各那里， ²⁶告诉他说：“约瑟还活着，并且作了埃及全地掌权的人。”雅各心里冰凉，因为不信他们。 ²⁷他们就把约瑟对他们所说一切的话都告诉了他。他看见约瑟派来接他的车辆，他们父亲雅各的灵就苏醒了。 ²⁸以色列说：“够了！我的儿子约瑟还活着，我要趁我未死之前去见他。”