Genesis 45

1 Then Joseph [unable to restrain himself, no longer able to control his emotions] could no longer control himself [refrain himself] before all his attendants [those standing by him, all who stood before him], and he cried out [called out loudly, shouted], “Send [cause to go out, put out] everyone away from me [every man, all of them]!” So none of them [no man, not one] were with Joseph [stood with him, near him] when he made himself known [revealed himself, uttered himself] to his brothers [his brethren, relatives]. word study 2 But he wept [aloud, with overflowing tears] so loudly [with a loud voice, in weeping] that the Egyptians [the people of Egypt, from the country of Egypt] heard him, and Pharaoh’s [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] household [the house, a dwelling place] soon heard [listened, gave attention] of it. word study 3 Joseph [the one Jehovah has added] said to his brothers [male siblings, close relatives], “I am Joseph [Jehovah has added, a name given to several Israelites]! Is my father [the patriarch, ancestor] still [yet, continuing] alive [having physical or spiritual life]?” But they were unable [lacked the power or ability] to answer him, because they were terrified [alarmed, agitated, dismayed] in his presence [face, before him]. word study 4 Then Joseph [the one Jehovah has added] said to his brothers, “Please [I pray you] come near me.” And they did so. “I [anointed, set apart] am Joseph, your brother [male sibling, close relative],” he said, “the one [whom ye sold, whom you sold as a slave] you sold into Egypt [the land of the Nile, a place of bondage]! word study 5 And now [at this time, in this present moment], do not be distressed [grieved, troubled] or angry [incensed, furious] with yourselves that you sold [traded, exchanged] me into this place [hither, here], because it was to save lives [preserve life, provide sustenance] that God [Elohim, the supreme Provider] sent [dispatched, directed] me before you [ahead of you, to prepare the way]. word study 6 For the famine [hunger, lack of food] has covered the land [country, territory] these two years [a period of time, a season], and there will be five more years [a prolonged season, an extended period] without plowing [tilling, cultivating the soil] or harvesting [reaping, gathering crops]. word study 7 God [Elohim, the supreme Being] sent me before you [ahead of you, to prepare the way] to preserve you as a remnant [a surviving group, posterity] on the earth [the land, the world] and to save your lives [keep you alive, give you life] by a great [large, mighty] deliverance [rescue, escape]. word study 8 Therefore it was not you [not by your counsel or decision] who sent me here, but God [the one supreme God, Elohim], who has made me a father [a guardian, protector, or provider] to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader]—lord [master, ruler, or authority] of all [everything, the whole] his household [family, servants, or kingdom] and ruler [governor, leader, or commander] over all [every part of] the land [territory, region, or country] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa, the land of the Nile]. word study 9 Now return quickly [with haste, in a hurry] to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph [Jehovah has added] says: God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] has made me lord [master, ruler] of all [every part of] Egypt [the land of the Nile]. Come down [descend, go down] to me without delay [tarry not, do not wait]. word study 10 You shall settle [dwell, reside, abide] in the land [region, territory, country] of Goshen [a place of drawing near, fertile area] and be near [close, adjacent, in proximity] me—you and your children [sons, descendants] and grandchildren [children’s children, posterity], your flocks [sheep, goats] and herds [cattle, livestock], and everything [all, every possession] you own [possess, have]. word study 11 And there [in that place] I will provide for you [nourish, sustain], because there will be five [a period of five years] more years [a period of time] of famine [a lack of food or spiritual nourishment]. Otherwise, you [as an individual] and your household [your family and all that is yours] and everything you own [which belongs to you] will come to [experience, or be reduced to] destitution [poverty, a state of need, or lack].’ word study 12 Behold [look closely, see for yourselves]! You and my brother [male sibling, close relative] Benjamin can see [perceive, look after] that I, Joseph, am the one speaking [communicating, uttering words] with you. word study 13 Tell my father [the patriarch, head of the family] about all my splendor [glory, honor, greatness] in Egypt [the land of the Nile] and everything [all that has been seen and experienced] you have seen [observed, witnessed]. And bring my father [the one who has given me life and guidance] down here [to this place, into my presence] quickly [with haste, urgency, swift action].” word study 14 Then Joseph [fell upon] threw his arms around his brother [male sibling, close relative] Benjamin [son of the right hand] and wept [cried, shed tears], and Benjamin wept [cried, was deeply moved] as they [mutually, in a warm embrace] embraced [hugged, fell upon each other’s neck]. word study 15 Joseph kissed [touched, showed affection to] each of his brothers [male siblings, close relatives] as he wept [cried, shed tears] over them [upon, in emotional response to]. And afterward [after that, following] his brothers talked [spoke, communicated] with him [in his presence, near him]. word study 16 When the news [report, announcement] reached Pharaoh’s [the king of Egypt] house [palace, royal residence] that Joseph’s [Jehovah has added] brothers [male siblings, relatives] had come [arrived, entered], Pharaoh [the ruler, king] and his servants [attendants, officials] were pleased [happy, joyful, it was good to them]. word study 17 Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers [male siblings, close relatives], ‘Do as follows [this is what you are to do]: Load [put loads of grain on, lade] your animals [cattle, beasts] and return [go back, depart] to the land [territory, region] of Canaan [the country where the Canaanites lived, now modern-day Israel]. word study 18 Then bring [take, get] your father [leader, patriarch] and your families [households, relatives] and return [come back, come to] to me. I will give [provide, bestow] you the best [good, most excellent] of the land [territory, region] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], and you shall eat [devour, consume] from the fat [richest, most abundant] of the land [earth, country].’ word study 19 You are also directed [commanded, instructed] to tell them: ‘Take [get, acquire] wagons [carts, vehicles] from the land [territory, region] of Egypt [the country, a place of refuge] for your young [little, infant] children [offspring, descendants] and your wives [women, female companions], and bring [lift, carry] your father [parent, patriarch] and come back [return, arrive]. word study 20 But pay no regard [do not concern yourselves, have no pity] to your belongings [possessions, articles, or utensils], for the best [goodness, the most excellent] of all [everything, the entire] the land [earth, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] is yours [belongs to you, is yours to possess].’” word study 21 So the sons [children, descendants] of Israel did as they were told [instructed, commanded]. Joseph gave them wagons [carts, vehicles] as Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] had instructed [commanded, ordered], and he also gave them provisions [food, supplies] for their journey [way, path]. word study 22 He gave new garments [changes of raiment, fresh clothing] to each of them, but to Benjamin [son of the right hand] he gave three hundred [three times a hundred] shekels of silver [money, wealth] and five [a quintet of] sets of clothes [changes of apparel, garments]. word study 23 And he sent to his father [the patriarch, ancestor] the following: ten donkeys [asses, male donkeys] loaded with the best [good things, choicest products] of Egypt [the land of the Nile, a country in northeastern Africa], and ten female donkeys [she-asses, gentle beasts of burden] loaded with grain [wheat, corn, food] and bread [sustenance, provision] and provisions [food, supplies, necessities] for his father’s journey [way, path, travel]. word study 24 Then Joseph sent [dismissed, let go] his brothers [male siblings, close relatives] on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Do not [refrain from, cease] quarrel [fall out, contend] on the way [road, journey, path of life]!” word study 25 So the brothers [Joseph’s siblings, his relatives] went up [ascended, traveled north] out of Egypt [the land of the Nile, a country in northeastern Africa] and came [arrived, entered] to their father [parent, ancestor] Jacob [the son of Isaac, a key figure in Israel’s history] in the land [earth, territory] of Canaan [the promised land, a region in the ancient Near East]. word study 26 “Joseph [Jehovah has added, a name given to several Israelites] is still [continuing, ongoing] alive [having physical or spiritual life],” they said, “and he is ruler [governing, having power] over all [everything, the whole] the land [earth, country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]!” But Jacob was stunned [numb, feeble, overwhelmed], for he did not believe [have faith, trust] them. word study 27 However, when they relayed [gave an account of, told] all that Joseph [Jehovah has added] had told them, and when he saw [looked upon, gazed at] the wagons [carts, vehicles] that Joseph had sent [dispatched, commissioned] to carry him back, the spirit [breath of life, inner being] of their father Jacob [supplanter, deceiver] was revived [restored, revitalized]. word study 28 “Enough [it is sufficient, I am convinced]!” declared Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants]. “My son [a descendant, a child] Joseph [Jehovah has added, a name given to several Israelites] is still [yet, continuing to be] alive [having physical or spiritual life]! I will go [to walk, to move from one place to another] to see [to look after, to care for] him before [prior to, earlier than] I die [to cease living, to pass away].” word study