Joseph Tells His Brothers Who He Is
1 Joseph was no longer able to control his feelings in front of his servants, so he ordered them all to leave the room. No one else was with him when Joseph told his brothers who he was. 2 He cried with such loud sobs that the Egyptians heard it, and the news was taken to the king's palace. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But when his brothers heard this, they were so terrified that they could not answer. 4 Then Joseph said to them, “Please come closer.” They did, and he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 Now do not be upset or blame yourselves because you sold me here. It was really God who sent me ahead of you to save people's lives. 6 This is only the second year of famine in the land; there will be five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor reaping. 7 God sent me ahead of you to rescue you in this amazing way and to make sure that you and your descendants survive. 8 So it was not really you who sent me here, but God. He has made me the king's highest official. I am in charge of his whole country; I am the ruler of all Egypt.
9 “Now hurry back to my father and tell him that this is what his son Joseph says: ‘God has made me ruler of all Egypt; come to me without delay. 10 You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your sheep, your goats, your cattle, and everything else that you have. 11 If you are in Goshen, I can take care of you. There will still be five years of famine; and I do not want you, your family, and your livestock to starve.’”
12 Joseph continued, “Now all of you, and you too, Benjamin, can see that I am really Joseph. 13 Tell my father how powerful I am here in Egypt and tell him about everything that you have seen. Then hurry and bring him here.”
14 He threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and began to cry; Benjamin also cried as he hugged him. 15 Then, still weeping, he embraced each of his brothers and kissed them. After that, his brothers began to talk with him.
16 When the news reached the palace that Joseph's brothers had come, the king and his officials were pleased. 17 He said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers to load their animals and to return to the land of Canaan. 18 Let them get their father and their families and come back here. I will give them the best land in Egypt, and they will have more than enough to live on. 19 Tell them also to take wagons with them from Egypt for their wives and small children and to bring their father with them. 20 They are not to worry about leaving their possessions behind; the best in the whole land of Egypt will be theirs.”
21 Jacob's sons did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons, as the king had ordered, and food for the trip. 22 He also gave each of them a change of clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 He sent his father ten donkeys loaded with the best Egyptian goods and ten donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other food for the trip. 24 He sent his brothers off and as they left, he said to them, “Don't quarrel on the way.”
25 They left Egypt and went back home to their father Jacob in Canaan. 26 “Joseph is still alive!” they told him. “He is the ruler of all Egypt!” Jacob was stunned and could not believe them.
27 But when they told him all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to take him to Egypt, he recovered from the shock. 28 “My son Joseph is still alive!” he said. “This is all I could ask for! I must go and see him before I die.”
1 Tad Jāzeps nespēja vairs valdīties to priekšā, kas ap viņu stāvēja, un viņš sauca: "Lai aiziet visi, kas pie manis!" Tad neviena vairs nebija pie viņa, kad Jāzeps devās pazīstams saviem brāļiem. 2 Un viņš pacēla savu balsi un sāka raudāt, tā ka to dzirdēja ēģiptieši un to dzirdēja faraona nams. 3 Un Jāzeps sacīja saviem brāļiem: "Es esmu Jāzeps! Vai mans tēvs vēl ir dzīvs?" Bet viņa brāļi nespēja atbildēt, jo tik iztrūkušies tie bija, viņa priekšā stāvot. 4 Un Jāzeps sacīja saviem brāļiem: "Nāciet tuvāk klāt!" Un tie pienāca. Un viņš sacīja: "Es esmu Jāzeps, jūsu brālis, kuru jūs pārdevāt uz Ēģipti. 5 Bet tagad neesiet apbēdināti un nebīstieties, ka jūs mani esat šurp pārdevuši, jo Dievs mani šurp sūtījis, lai jums saglabātu dzīvību. 6 Jo šis ir otrais bada gads šinī zemē, un vēl būs pieci gadi, kuros nebūs nedz aršanas, nedz pļaušanas. 7 Bet Dievs mani jums pa priekšu ir sūtījis, lai jums būtu palikšana virs zemes un jums saglabātu dzīvu lielu izglābto pulku. 8 Tā ne jūs mani šurp esat sūtījuši, bet Dievs, un Viņš mani ir iecēlis faraonam par tēvu un par kungu visam viņa namam, un par valdnieku pār visu Ēģiptes zemi. 9 Steidzieties atgriezties pie mana tēva un sakiet viņam: to tev liek teikt tavs dēls Jāzeps: Dievs mani ir nolicis par kungu visai Ēģiptes zemei; nāc pie manis un nevilcinies! 10 Tu dzīvosi Gošenes zemē un būsi man tuvu, gan tu, gan tavi bērni, gan tavi bērnubērni, gan tavi sīklopi, gan tavi liellopi, gan viss, kas tev pieder. 11 Un es tevi apgādāšu tur ar uzturu, ka tu nekļūsti nabags, nedz tu, nedz tavs nams, nedz kas tev ir, jo vēl būs pieci bada gadi. 12 Jūsu acis redz, un mana brāļa Benjamīna acis redz, ka tā ir mana mute, kas uz jums runā. 13 Un stāstiet manam tēvam par visu manu godību Ēģiptes zemē un par visu, ko jūs esat redzējuši; steidzieties, noejiet pie mana tēva!" 14 Un viņš krita Benjamīnam, savam brālim, ap kaklu un raudāja; un Benjamīns raudāja pie viņa krūts. 15 Un viņš skūpstīja visus savus brāļus un, to darīdams, raudāja. Pēc tam viņa brāļi runāja ar to. 16 Un šī ziņa kļuva zināma faraona namā, proti, ka atnākuši Jāzepa brāļi. Un tas patika faraonam un viņa kalpiem. 17 Un faraons sacīja Jāzepam: "Saki tā saviem brāļiem: dariet to, apseglojiet savus lopus un dodieties ceļā, un ejiet uz Kānaāna zemi. 18 Paņemiet savu tēvu un savu iedzīvi un nāciet pie manis: un es jums gribu dot Ēģiptes zemes labumu, un jūs ēdīsit šīs zemes labumu. 19 Un tu pavēli: tā jums būs darīt, ņemiet sev līdzi no Ēģiptes zemes ratus saviem bērniem un sievām un atvediet savu tēvu, un nāciet paši. 20 Lai jūsu acīm nav žēl jūsu iedzīves, jo visas Ēģiptes zemes labumi būs jūsu." 21 Un Israēla bēni darīja tā, un Jāzeps deva tiem ratus, kā faraons to bija teicis, un deva tiem ceļamaizi līdzi ceļā. 22 Un ikvienam viņš deva savu drēbju kārtu, bet Benjamīnam viņš deva trīs simti seķeļu sudraba naudas un piecas drēbju kārtas. 23 Un savam tēvam viņš vēl sūtīja desmit ēzeļus, kas nesa dāvanas no Ēģiptes dārgumiem, desmit ēzeļu mātes, apkrautas ar labību, pārtiku un ceļamaizi tēvam. 24 Tad viņš atlaida savus brāļus, un tie aizgāja, bet viņš tiem sacīja: "Ceļā būdami, esiet bez bailēm." 25 Tā viņi aizgāja no Ēģiptes un nonāca Kānaāna zemē pie sava tēva Jēkaba. 26 Un tie pavēstīja viņam: "Jāzeps vēl ir dzīvs, un tas valda pār visu Ēģiptes zemi!" Bet viņa sirds neiesila, jo viņš tiem nespēja ticēt. 27 Bet, kad tie atstāstīja viņam visus Jāzepa vārdus, kurus tas bija runājis uz viņiem, un tas ieraudzīja ratus, ko Jāzeps bija atsūtījis, lai aizvestu viņu, tad viņu tēva, Jēkaba, gars atdzīvojās. 28 Un Israēls sacīja: "Pietiek! Mans dēls Jāzeps vēl ir dzīvs. Es celšos, lai viņu redzētu, pirms mirstu."
