Study Desk

Joseph hurried out because he was overcome with emotion for his brother, and he was about to weep. He went into an inner room and wept there.

Then he washed his face and came out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”

They served him by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is detestable to them.

Joseph commanded his steward, “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver at the top of his bag.

Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one’s bag, along with the silver for his grain.” So he did as Joseph told him.

They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him.

My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

and we answered my lord, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’

“So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life—

Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers.

Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants, so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt.

Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder.

Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept, and afterward his brothers talked with him.