Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
1The famine was severe in the land.2When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
3Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy you food; 5 but if you don’t send him, we won’t go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ ”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
6Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
7They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’ ”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
8Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones. 9 I’ll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don’t bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever; 10 for if we hadn’t delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
11 Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
12 and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man. 14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
15The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and prepare; for the men will dine with me at noon.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
17The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, we’re brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”19They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. 21 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand. 22 We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He said, “Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
He brought Simeon out to them.24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder. 25 They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to the earth before him. 27 He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly.
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
29He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there. 31 He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
32They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians don’t eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marvelled with one another. 34 He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
1He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth. 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? 5 Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
6He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house?
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” 10 He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.”
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
11Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
13Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city. 14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
15Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?” 16 Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.” 17He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
18Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 We said to 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 loves him.’
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
21You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’ 24 When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
26We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
30Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life; 31 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the grey hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
33Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
1Then Joseph couldn’t control himself before all those who stood before him, and he called out, “Cause everyone to go out from me!” No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
2He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Does my father still live?” His brothers couldn’t answer him; for they were terrified at his presence. 4 Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” They came near. He said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
5Now don’t be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be no ploughing and no harvest. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. 8 So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
9Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t wait. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children’s children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
11There I will provide for you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have.” ’ 12 Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father down here.”
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
14He fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
16The report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals, and go, travel to the land of Canaan. 18 Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
19Now you are commanded to do this: Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also, don’t concern yourselves about your belongings, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.”
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
21The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. 22 He gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.23He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
24So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “See that you don’t quarrel on the way.” 25 They went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
26They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t believe them. 27 They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived. 28 Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
1The famine was severe in the land.
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
2When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
3Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy you food; 5 but if you don’t send him, we won’t go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ ”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
6Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
7They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’ ”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
8Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones. 9 I’ll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don’t bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever; 10 for if we hadn’t delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
11 Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds; 12 and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man. 14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
15The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and prepare; for the men will dine with me at noon.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
17The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, we’re brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
19They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. 21 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand. 22 We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He said, “Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money.” He brought Simeon out to them.24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder. 25 They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to the earth before him. 27 He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly.
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
29He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there. 31 He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.”
Genesis 43
World English Bible (WEBPB)
32They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians don’t eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marvelled with one another. 34 He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
1He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth. 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? 5 Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
6He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house? 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” 10 He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.”
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
11Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
13Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city. 14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
15Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?” 16 Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.” 17He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
18Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 We said to 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 loves him.’
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
21You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’ 24 When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
26We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’*
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
30Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life; 31 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the grey hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’
Genesis 44
World English Bible (WEBPB)
33Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
1Then Joseph couldn’t control himself before all those who stood before him, and he called out, “Cause everyone to go out from me!” No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
2He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Does my father still live?” His brothers couldn’t answer him; for they were terrified at his presence. 4 Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” They came near. He said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
5Now don’t be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be no ploughing and no harvest. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. 8 So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
9Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t wait. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children’s children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
11There I will provide for you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have.” ’ 12 Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father down here.”
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
14He fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
16The report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals, and go, travel to the land of Canaan. 18 Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
19Now you are commanded to do this: Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also, don’t concern yourselves about your belongings, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.”
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
21The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. 22 He gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
23He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
24So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “See that you don’t quarrel on the way.” 25 They went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.
Genesis 45
World English Bible (WEBPB)
26They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t believe them. 27 They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived. 28 Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Get to know God
God writes beautiful ending for our lives
Though this is not the final chapter of the book of Genesis, the book of Genesis did end with a very beautiful ending.
In this portion of the scripture, we read that Joseph’s brothers were remorseful over what they had done to Joseph. It was more than 20 years since they sold Joseph into slavery. For all those 20 years, they saw how much their father, Jacob, suffered. Jacob suffered the loss of Joseph for 20 years. He was probably in deep regret that he was the one who sent Joseph to check out his brothers. He probably had a difficult time forgiving himself. In all those 20 years, he must had cried a lot, a lot. Seeing how their evil deed had caused such tremendous pain to their father, Joseph’s 10 brothers lived 20 years under the torment of their own evil deeds.
It was a beautiful ending, to Jacob, to know that Almighty God watched over his son, Joseph — the faithfulness and unfailing love of our LORD.
It was a beautiful ending, to Joseph, to know that his brother, Benjamin, was well and to be reunited with him.
This is our God. He will always write beautiful ending for our life story, when we walk with Him, putting our hopes in Him.
It is God who helped Joseph to forgive
Up till the time when Joseph saw his brothers, he was still full of pain. He tested them, though he gave them the grains and the money back.
What would Joseph have done to his 10 brothers if he discovered that Benjamin too, was sold or killed? Would Joseph execute his brothers? He would not, for the sake of his father, Jacob. What if the story had been such that after Jacob died, Benjamin was sold or killed? What would Joseph have done to the 10 brothers?
We do not have the answer. That is why, we can only say that it was God who had helped Joseph to forgive. God orchestrated everything beautifully. God watched over his entire family. The brothers were remorseful. Jacob was still alive. Benjamin was safe. Joseph knew at that point that Almighty God had answered his prayers.
So you see, when we focus on the unfailing love and faithfulness of God, God will work all things good for us and will make it possible for us to forgive.
It is the truth that will set you free
Many preachers use the story of Joseph to teach on forgiveness. They would say something like, “forgive so that your blessings are not hindered, just like Joseph, he forgave.” To many who are sufferring in bondages of unforgiveness, to forgive is impossible. The more we try to use our human effort, the more we sink into depression. Human beings are made in the image of God, where we will yearn for justice and a good ending. It is very impossible to let the evil people get away free. So, to try to use our own human effort to forgive is not the way.
People say “forgive, so as to set yourself free”. This sometimes do not work on those severely in bondage. Human effort to forgive would not achieve much.
Instead, we should focus unto God’s favour and love for us, the victim, the one who had been bullied, abused, disadvantaged.
We must focus on the truth and the truth will set us free. The truth is God loves you, God’s heart is for the weak, the bullied, the persecuted, the widow, the fatherless. The truth is God is a God of justice. The truth is God will write your story with a beautiful ending. The truth is, our own human effort cannot bring about the best vengence. God promised that He will avenge us and He will do a great job in that, greater than we can ever imagine. This is the truth.
Are you wondering…
How to become a believer?
You can be a believer simply by saying this prayer:
Dear God, thank you for so wonderfully make me and thank you for sending your Son, LORD Jesus to die for me so that I can have the blessed life that you intended for me — a life of leadership and fruitfulness. Now I believe and accept Jesus as my LORD and Saviour. I believe that from this time forth, I am a new creation, I am born again and I have the eternal life that Jesus came to give me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
