Joseph

Gen. 37:23-28; 45:3-15

Joseph explaining Pharoah's dream

23So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him;

24and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

25Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of (Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and (C)balm and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt.

26Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood?

27"Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers listened to him.

28Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.

3Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

4Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

5"Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

6"For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

7"God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

8"Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over 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 delay.

10"You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have.



Joseph reconciled with his brothers



11"There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished."'

12"Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you.

13"Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here."

14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.

15He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.