One Year Pray for America Bible - Flipbook - Page 94
January 22
3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his broth-
ers. “Is my father still alive?” But
his brothers were speechless! They
were stunned to realize that Joseph
was standing there in front of them.
4 “Please, come closer,” he said to
them. So they came closer. And he
said again, “I am Joseph, your brother,
whom you sold into slavery in Egypt.
5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry
with yourselves for selling me to this
place. It was God who sent me here
ahead of you to preserve your lives.
6 This famine that has ravaged the land
for two years will last five more years,
and there will be neither plowing nor
harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead
of you to keep you and your families
alive and to preserve many survivors.*
8 So it was God who sent me here, not
you! And he is the one who made me
an adviser* to Pharaoh—the manager
of his entire palace and the governor
of all Egypt.
9 “Now hurry back to my father and
tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph
says: God has made me master over
all the land of Egypt. So come down
to me immediately! 10 You can live in
the region of Goshen, where you can
be near me with all your children and
grandchildren, your flocks and herds,
and everything you own. 11 I will take
care of you there, for there are still five
years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise
you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’”
12 Then Jo
seph added, “Look! You
can see for yourselves, and so can
my brother Benjamin, that I really
am Joseph! 13 Go tell my father of my
honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have
seen, and then bring my father here
quickly.” 14 Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did
the same. 15 Then Joseph kissed each
of his brothers and wept over them,
and after that they began talking
freely with him.
16 The news soon reached Pharaoh’s
palace: “Joseph’s brothers have arrived!” Pharaoh and his officials were
all delighted to hear this.
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17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your
brothers, ‘This is what you must do:
Load your pack animals, and hurry
back to the land of Canaan. 18 Then
get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give
you the very best land in Egypt, and
you will eat from the best that the land
produces.’”
19 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell
your brothers, ‘Take wagons from the
land of Egypt to carry your little children and your wives, and bring your
father here. 20 Don’t worry about your
personal belongings, for the best of all
the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 So the sons of Jacob* did as they
were told. Joseph provided them with
wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded,
and he gave them supplies for the journey. 22 And he gave each of them new
clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five
changes of clothes and 300 pieces*
of silver. 23 He also sent his father ten
male donkeys loaded with the finest
products of Egypt, and ten female
donkeys loaded with grain and bread
and other supplies he would need on
his journey.
24 So Jo
seph sent his brothers off,
and as they left, he called after them,
“Don’t quarrel about all this along
the way!” 25 And they left Egypt and
returned to their father, Jacob, in the
land of Canaan.
26 “Jo
seph is still alive!” they told
him. “And he is governor of all the
land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned
at the n
ews—he couldn’t believe it.
27 But when they repeated to Jacob
everything Joseph had told them, and
when he saw the wagons Joseph had
sent to carry him, their father’s spirits
revived.
28 Then Jacob exclaimed, “It must
be true! My son Joseph is alive! I must
go and see him before I die.”
44:5 As in Greek version; Hebrew lacks this phrase.
44:29 Hebrew to Sheol; also in 44:31. 45:7 Or and to
save you with an extraordinary rescue. The meaning
of the Hebrew is uncertain. 45:8 Hebrew a father.
45:21 Hebrew Israel; also in 45:28. See note on 35:21.
45:22 Hebrew 300 [shekels], about 7.5 pounds or
3.4 kilograms in weight.
