Joseph

37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

Pharaoh thought this was a good plan. All his helpers thought so too.

38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

Pharaoh said to them, "Can we find anyone else like this man? The Spirit of God is in him."

39And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "God has shown all this to you. No one is as careful and wise as you are."

40Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

"You will be in charge of my house. All my people will do what you say. I will be greater than you only because I am king."

41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Look, I am putting you over all the land of Egypt."

42And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

Pharaoh took the ring off his own finger and put it on Joseph's. He dressed Joseph in fine linen clothes. He put a gold chain around his neck.

43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

He let Joseph ride in his second chariot. Men walked ahead calling out, "Bow down!" So Pharaoh made Joseph ruler over all Egypt.

44And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh. But no one in Egypt will lift a hand or a foot without your word."

45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh gave Joseph a new name, Zaphnathpaaneah. He also gave him a wife named Asenath. She was the daughter of Potipherah, a priest in the city of On. Then Joseph traveled out through Egypt.

46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

Joseph was thirty years old when he began serving Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He left Pharaoh and went all through the land of Egypt.

47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

In the seven good years the ground grew huge amounts of food.

48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

Joseph gathered all the extra food from those seven years in Egypt. He stored it in the cities. In each city he stored the food from the nearby fields.

49And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.

Joseph stored up so much grain it was like sand at the sea. At last he stopped counting it. There was too much to count.

50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

Before the hungry years came, Joseph had two sons. Their mother was Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, the priest of On.

51And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.

Joseph named his first son Manasseh. He said, "God has helped me forget all my hard times and my father's family."

52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

He named his second son Ephraim. He said, "God has made good things grow for me in the land where I suffered."

53And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.

The seven good years in Egypt came to an end.

54And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

The seven hungry years began, just as Joseph had said. Every country ran out of food. But all through Egypt there was bread.

55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.

When the people of Egypt grew very hungry, they cried to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told them all, "Go to Joseph. Do whatever he tells you."

56And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

The hunger spread over the whole land. Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. The hunger in Egypt kept getting worse.

57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

People from every country came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph. The hunger was very bad everywhere.

1Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

Jacob heard there was grain for sale in Egypt. He said to his sons, "Why do you sit and stare at each other?"

2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

He said, "I hear there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us. Then we will live and not die."

3And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

4But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's younger brother. He was afraid something bad might happen to him.

5And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

So Jacob's sons came to buy, along with many other people. Jacob was also called Israel. The land of Canaan was hungry too.

6And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

Joseph was the ruler of Egypt. He was the one who sold grain to everyone. His brothers came and bowed low, with their faces to the ground.

7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

Joseph saw his brothers and knew them at once. But he acted like a stranger and spoke in a hard voice. "Where do you come from?" he asked. They said, "From Canaan, to buy food."

8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

Joseph knew who they were. They did not know who he was.

9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

Joseph remembered the dreams he once had about them. He said, "You are spies. You came to find the weak spots in our land."

10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

They said, "No, sir. We are only here to buy food."

11We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

"We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. We are not spies."

12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

He said, "No. You came to find the weak spots in our land."

13And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

They said, "We are twelve brothers, sons of one man in Canaan. The youngest is at home with our father. One brother is gone."

14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

Joseph said, "It is just as I told you. You are spies."

15Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

"Here is how I will test you. As sure as Pharaoh the king lives, you will not leave until your youngest brother comes here."

16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

"Send one of you to go get him. The rest of you will stay locked up. Then we will see if your words are true. If not, then you are spies."

17And he put them all together into ward three days.

So he put them all in prison for three days.

18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live. I honor God."

19If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

"If you are honest men, leave one brother here in prison. The rest of you take grain home to your hungry families."

20But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

"Then bring your youngest brother to me. That will show your words are true, and you will not die." They agreed to do it.

21And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

They said to each other, "We are being paid back for what we did to our brother. We saw how upset he was when he begged us. We would not listen. That is why this trouble has come."

22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

Reuben said, "Did I not tell you not to hurt the boy? You would not listen. Now we must answer for his death."

23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

They did not know that Joseph understood their words. He had been talking to them through a man who changed one language into the other.

24And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

Joseph turned away from them and cried. Then he came back and spoke with them again. He took Simeon and tied him up while they watched.

25Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

Joseph told his men to fill their bags with grain. He told them to put each man's money back in his sack. He gave them food for the trip. It was all done.

26And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

They loaded the grain onto their donkeys and left.

27And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth.

They stopped for the night. One brother opened his sack to feed his donkey. He saw his money sitting right at the top of the sack.

28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

He said to his brothers, "My money is back! It is here in my sack." Their hearts sank and they were afraid. They asked each other, "What has God done to us?"

29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

They came home to their father Jacob in Canaan. They told him everything that had happened.

30The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

They said, "The man who rules that land spoke to us in a hard voice. He said we were spies."

31And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

"We told him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.'"

32We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

"'We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One brother is gone. The youngest is at home with our father in Canaan.'"

33And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:

"Then the ruler said to us, 'Here is how I will know you are honest. Leave one brother here with me. Take food for your hungry families and go.'"

34And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

"'Then bring your youngest brother to me. That will show me you are honest men, not spies. Then I will give your brother back, and you may buy and sell here.'"

35And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

Then they emptied their sacks. Every man found his own bag of money inside. When they and their father saw it, they were afraid.

36And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

Jacob said to them, "You keep taking my children from me. Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. Now you want Benjamin. Everything is going wrong for me."

37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my own two sons if I do not bring him back. Put him in my care. I will bring him home to you."

38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Jacob said, "My son will not go with you. His brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If something bad happens to him on the road, my sadness will send me, an old man, to my grave."

15And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

So the men took the gift and twice as much silver. They took Benjamin too. They hurried down to Egypt and stood in front of Joseph.

16And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

Joseph saw Benjamin with them. He told the servant who ran his house, "Take these men to my house. Kill an animal and cook it. They will eat with me at noon."

17And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

The servant did what Joseph told him. He brought the men into Joseph's house.

18And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

The men were afraid to be brought into Joseph's house. They said, "It is because of the silver we found in our sacks last time. He wants an excuse to grab us. He will make us slaves and take our donkeys."

19And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

So they went up to the servant who ran Joseph's house. They talked with him at the door.

20And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

They said, "Please, sir, we really did come here the first time to buy food.

21And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

When we stopped for the night, we opened our sacks. Every man's silver was right there in the top of his sack. It was all there, every bit. We have brought it back with us.

22And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

We brought more silver too, to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks."

23And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

He said, "It is all right. Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you that treasure in your sacks. I got your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

The servant took the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water to wash their feet. He gave their donkeys food too.

25And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

They got their gift ready for when Joseph came at noon. They had heard they would eat a meal there.

26And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

When Joseph came home, they gave him the gift they had brought. They bowed down low, with their faces to the ground.

27And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

He asked how they were doing. He said, "Is your old father well, the one you told me about? Is he still alive?"

28And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

They said, "Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive." And they bowed down low to show honor.

29And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son. He asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" Then he said, "God be kind to you, my son."

30And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

Joseph hurried out of the room. His love for his brother made him want to cry. He looked for a place to cry. He went into his own room and cried there.

31And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

Then he washed his face and came back out. He held his feelings in and said, "Serve the food."

32And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Joseph was served by himself, and his brothers by themselves. The Egyptians who ate with him were served by themselves too. Egyptians would not eat with Hebrews. To them that was a shameful thing to do.

33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.

The brothers sat in front of Joseph in order of age. The oldest sat first and the youngest sat last. The men stared at each other in surprise.

34And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Joseph sent them helpings of food from his own table. Benjamin's helping was five times bigger than anyone else's. They ate and drank and were happy with him.

1And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

Joseph told the man who ran his house what to do. He said, "Fill the men's bags with all the food they can carry. Put each man's silver back in the top of his bag."

2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

"Put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother's bag. Put his grain silver there too." The man did just what Joseph said.

3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

As soon as the sun came up, the men were sent away. They left with their donkeys.

4And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

They had left the city, but they were not far away yet. Joseph said to his helper, "Go! Chase the men. When you catch them, ask why they paid back kindness with wrong."

5Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

"Say to them: This is the cup my master drinks from. He also uses it to learn hidden things. What you did was very wrong."

6And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

The helper caught up with them. He said to them exactly what Joseph had told him to say.

7And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

The brothers said, "Why does our master say such things? We would never do a thing like that."

8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?

"We even brought back the silver we found in our bags. We carried it all the way from Canaan. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?"

9With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.

"If you find the cup with any of us, let that man die. And the rest of us will be your master's slaves."

10And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.

The helper said, "All right, it will be close to what you said. The man who has the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free."

11Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

Then each man quickly lowered his bag to the ground. Each man opened his own bag.

12And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

The helper searched the bags. He started with the oldest brother and ended with the youngest. He found the cup in Benjamin's bag.

13Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

The brothers tore their clothes to show how upset they were. They loaded their donkeys again and went back to the city.

14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. Joseph was still there. They bowed low to the ground in front of him.

15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Did you not know a man like me can find out hidden things?"

16And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

Judah said, "What can we say to you, sir? How can we show we are not guilty? God has found the wrong in your servants. We are your slaves now. All of us, and the one who had the cup."

17And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

Joseph said, "I would never do that. Only the man who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go home to your father in peace."

18Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.

Then Judah came closer to Joseph. He said, "Please, sir, let me say one thing to you. Please do not be angry with me. You are as great as Pharaoh, the king of Egypt."

19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

"Sir, you asked us, your servants, if we had a father or a brother."

20And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

"We told you, sir, that we have an old father. He has a young son who was born when he was old. That boy's brother is dead. He is the only son left from his mother, and his father loves him."

21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

"Then you told us to bring the boy down to you. You said you wanted to see him yourself."

22And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

"We told you, sir, that the boy cannot leave his father. If he left, his father would die."

23And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

"But you told us that we could not see your face again. You said we must bring our youngest brother with us."

24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

"So we went back to my father, your servant. We told him what you had said."

25And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.

"Later our father said, \"Go back and buy us a little more food.\""

26And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.

"We said we could not go. We could only go if our youngest brother came with us. The man in Egypt would not see us without him."

27And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

"Then my father said to us, \"You know my wife gave me two sons.\""

28And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

"\"One of them went away from me. I said a wild animal must have torn him apart. I have not seen him since.\""

29And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

"\"If you take this one too, and something bad happens to him, I will die of sadness. My gray head will go down to the grave in sorrow.\""

30Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;

"So now, sir, think what will happen. If I go home to my father without the boy, it will hurt him deeply. My father's whole life is tied to the boy's life."

31It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

"When he sees the boy is not with us, he will die. We will have sent our old father to the grave in sorrow."

32For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

"I promised my father that the boy would be safe. I said that if I did not bring him home, I would carry the blame forever."

33Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

"So please let me stay here as your slave instead of the boy. Let the boy go home with his brothers."

34For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

"How can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the pain it would cause him."

1Then 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.

Joseph 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.

He 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.

Joseph 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.

Joseph 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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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:

"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:

"'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.

"'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.

"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.

"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.

Joseph 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.

He 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.

The 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;

Pharaoh 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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

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

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.

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

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.

He 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.

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

Then 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,

So 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.

They 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:

Then 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.

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

28And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

Jacob sent Judah on ahead to Joseph. Judah was to ask the way to Goshen. Then the family arrived in the land of Goshen.

29And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

Joseph got his chariot ready, a cart pulled by horses. He rode to Goshen to meet his father Israel. He hugged him and cried on his shoulder a long time.

30And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.

Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die. I have seen your face, and you are still alive."

31And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;

Joseph said to his brothers and his father's family, "I will go and tell Pharaoh. I will say, 'My brothers and my father's family have come to me from Canaan.'"

32And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.

"I will tell him, 'These men keep sheep and other animals. That is their work. They have brought their flocks and herds and everything they own.'"

33And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

"When Pharaoh calls you in, he will ask, 'What work do you do?'"

34That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

"Then say, 'We have kept animals since we were young, and our fathers did too.' Then Pharaoh will let you live in Goshen. Egyptians think shepherds are disgusting."

1Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.

Joseph went to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He said, "My father and my brothers have come from the land of Canaan. They brought their sheep, their cows, and everything they own. They are in the land of Goshen now."

2And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.

Joseph picked five of his brothers. He brought them in to meet Pharaoh.

3And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What kind of work do you do?" They said, "We take care of sheep, sir. Our fathers did the same work."

4They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.

They also said, "We came to live here for a while. The hunger in Canaan is very bad. There is no grass left for our animals to eat. Please let us stay in the land of Goshen."

5And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you."

6The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

"All of Egypt is open to you. Give your father and brothers the best land. Let them live in Goshen. If some of them are good with animals, put them in charge of mine."

7And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

Joseph brought his father Jacob in to meet Pharaoh. Jacob asked God to bless Pharaoh.

8And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?

Pharaoh asked Jacob, "How old are you?"

9And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

Jacob said, "I have traveled from place to place for 130 years. My years have been few and hard. I have not lived as long as my father and grandfather did."

10And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again and left the room.

11And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

Joseph gave his father and brothers land of their own in Egypt. It was the best land, near a city called Rameses. Pharaoh had told him to do this.

12And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their families.

Joseph gave food to his father, his brothers, and everyone in the family. Each family got what it needed.