Genesis

Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

1Joseph could not hold his feelings in any longer. Servants were standing nearby. He called out, "Everyone go out of the room!" So no one else was there when Joseph told his brothers who he really was.

2And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.

2He cried out loud. The Egyptians heard him. Word of it reached the house of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

3And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

3Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" His brothers could not answer him. They were too shocked and scared to speak.

4And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

4Joseph said, "Please come close to me." So they came close. He said, "I am Joseph, your brother. I am the one you sold away into Egypt."

5Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

5"Do not feel sad now. Do not be angry at yourselves for selling me. God sent me here ahead of you to keep people alive."

6For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

6"There has been no food in this land for two years. Five more years like this are coming. No one will plow the ground or gather crops."

7And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

7"God sent me ahead of you so our family would not die out. He saved your lives in a very big way."

8So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

8"So it was not really you who sent me here. It was God. He made me like a father to Pharaoh. I am in charge of the king's house and of all Egypt."

9Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

9"Hurry back to my father. Tell him, 'Your son Joseph says this: God has made me ruler of all Egypt. Come down to me. Do not wait.'"

10And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:

10"'You will live in a part of Egypt called Goshen. You will be near me. Bring your children and your grandchildren. Bring your sheep, your cattle, and everything you own.'"

11And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

11"'I will take care of you there and give you food. Five more hungry years are coming. I do not want you and your family to lose everything.'"

12And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.

12"Look at me. You can all see it with your own eyes, and Benjamin can too. It is really my own mouth speaking to you."

13And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.

13"Tell my father how important I am here in Egypt. Tell him everything you have seen. Then hurry and bring my father down here."

14And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

14Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and cried. Benjamin held him and cried too.

15Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.

15He kissed all his brothers and cried while he hugged them. After that, his brothers talked with him.

16And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

16The news reached Pharaoh's house: "Joseph's brothers have come." Pharaoh and his helpers were glad to hear it.

17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;

17Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers to do this. Load up your animals and go back to the land of Canaan."

18And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

18"Bring your father and your families back here to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt. You will eat the best food there is."

19Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

19"Tell them this too: take wagons from Egypt for your little children and your wives. Bring your father, and come."

20Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.

20"Do not worry about the things you leave behind. The best of everything in Egypt will be yours."

21And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

21Jacob's sons did just that. Joseph gave them wagons, as Pharaoh had said to do. He also gave them food for the trip.

NoteThe old wording says "the children of Israel." Israel is Jacob's other name, so this means Jacob's own sons. Verse 28 calls him Israel too.

22To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.

22He gave each brother new clothes. To Benjamin he gave five sets of clothes and three hundred pieces of silver.

NoteThree hundred pieces of silver was a large amount of money, far more than the other brothers got.

23And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

23He sent gifts to his father as well. Ten donkeys carried the best things Egypt had. Ten more donkeys carried grain, bread, and food for his father's journey.

NoteIn the 1611 English, "corn" means grain of any kind, and "meat" means food of any kind, not just meat from animals.

24So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.

24Then Joseph sent his brothers off. As they left he said, "Do not argue with each other on the way!"

25And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,

25So they left Egypt and traveled to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob.

26And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.

26They told him, "Joseph is still alive! He is the ruler of all Egypt." Jacob just stood there, stunned. He did not believe them.

27And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:

27Then they told him everything Joseph had said. He also saw the wagons Joseph sent to carry him. Then their father Jacob felt alive and strong again.

28And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

28Israel said, "That is enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."