Joseph Makes Himself Known

45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself^(A) before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!”^(B) So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept^(C) so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.^(D)

³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”^(E) But his brothers were not able to answer him,^(F) because they were terrified at his presence.^(G)

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”^(H) When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!^{(I) 5} And now, do not be distressed^(J) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,^(K) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.^{(L) 6} For two years now there has been famine^(M) in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant^(N) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.^[a](O)

⁸ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.^(P) He made me father^(Q) to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.^{(R) 9} Now hurry^(S) back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay.^{(T) 10} You shall live in the region of Goshen^(U) and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.^{(V) 11} I will provide for you there,^(W) because five years of famine^(X) are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’^(Y)

¹² “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin,^(Z) that it is really I who am speaking to you.^{(AA) 13} Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt^(AB) and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.^(AC)”

¹⁴ Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin^(AD) embraced him,^(AE) weeping. ¹⁵ And he kissed^(AF) all his brothers and wept over them.^(AG) Afterward his brothers talked with him.^(AH)

¹⁶ When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,^(AI) Pharaoh and all his officials^(AJ) were pleased.^{(AK) 17} Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals^(AL) and return to the land of Canaan,^{(AM) 18} and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt^(AN) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’^(AO)

¹⁹ “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts^(AP) from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. ²⁰ Never mind about your belongings,^(AQ) because the best of all Egypt^(AR) will be yours.’”

²¹ So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,^(AS) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.^{(AT) 22} To each of them he gave new clothing,^(AU) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels^[b] of silver and five sets of clothes.^{(AV) 23} And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys^(AW) loaded with the best things^(AX) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.^{(AY) 24} Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”^(AZ)

²⁵ So they went up out of Egypt^(BA) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.^{(BB) 26} They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”^(BC) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.^{(BD) 27} But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts^(BE) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. ²⁸ And Israel said, “I’m convinced!^(BF) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”^(BG)

Jacob Goes to Egypt

46 So Israel^(BH) set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba,^(BI) he offered sacrifices^(BJ) to the God of his father Isaac.^(BK)

² And God spoke to Israel^(BL) in a vision at night^(BM) and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Here I am,”^(BN) he replied.

³ “I am God, the God of your father,”^(BO) he said. “Do not be afraid^(BP) to go down to Egypt,^(BQ) for I will make you into a great nation^(BR) there.^{(BS) 4} I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.^(BT) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.^(BU)”

⁵ Then Jacob left Beersheba,^(BV) and Israel’s^(BW) sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts^(BX) that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. ⁶ So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt,^(BY) taking with them their livestock and the possessions^(BZ) they had acquired^(CA) in Canaan. ⁷ Jacob brought with him to Egypt^(CB) his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.^(CC)

⁸ These are the names of the sons of Israel^(CD) (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:

¹⁵ These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,^[e](DB) besides his daughter Dinah.^(DC) These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.

¹⁸ These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah,^(DG) whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah^(DH)—sixteen in all.

²² These were the sons of Rachel^(DQ) who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.

²⁵ These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah,^(DU) whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel^(DV)—seven in all.

²⁶ All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.^{(DW) 27} With the two sons^[h] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt,^(DX) the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy^[i] in all.^(DY)

²⁸ Now Jacob sent Judah^(DZ) ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen.^(EA) When they arrived in the region of Goshen, ²⁹ Joseph had his chariot^(EB) made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.^(EC) As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father^[j] and wept^(ED) for a long time.^(EE)

³⁰ Israel^(EF) said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”^(EG)

³¹ Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan,^(EH) have come to me.^{(EI) 32} The men are shepherds;^(EJ) they tend livestock,^(EK) and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’^{(EL) 33} When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’^{(EM) 34} you should answer, ‘Your servants^(EN) have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’^(EO) Then you will be allowed to settle^(EP) in the region of Goshen,^(EQ) for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.^(ER)”

Psalm 10^[a]

The Incarnation of the Word of Life

1 That which was from the beginning,^(A) which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,^(B) which we have looked at and our hands have touched^(C)—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared;^(D) we have seen it and testify to it,^(E) and we proclaim to you the eternal life,^(F) which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,^(G) so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.^{(H) 4} We write this^(I) to make our^[a] joy complete.^(J)

Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness

⁵ This is the message we have heard^(K) from him and declare to you: God is light;^(L) in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness,^(M) we lie and do not live out the truth.^{(N) 7} But if we walk in the light,^(O) as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[b] sin.^(P)

⁸ If we claim to be without sin,^(Q) we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.^{(R) 9} If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins^(S) and purify us from all unrighteousness.^{(T) 10} If we claim we have not sinned,^(U) we make him out to be a liar^(V) and his word is not in us.^(W)

2 My dear children,^(X) I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate^(Y) with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ² He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,^(Z) and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.^(AA)

Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

³ We know^(AB) that we have come to know him^(AC) if we keep his commands.^{(AD) 4} Whoever says, “I know him,”^(AE) but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.^{(AF) 5} But if anyone obeys his word,^(AG) love for God^[c] is truly made complete in them.^(AH) This is how we know^(AI) we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.^(AJ)

⁷ Dear friends,^(AK) I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.^(AL) This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸ Yet I am writing you a new command;^(AM) its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing^(AN) and the true light^(AO) is already shining.^(AP)

⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister^[d](AQ) is still in the darkness.^{(AR) 10} Anyone who loves their brother and sister^[e] lives in the light,^(AS) and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.^{(AT) 11} But anyone who hates a brother or sister^(AU) is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.^(AV) They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.^(AW)

Reasons for Writing

On Not Loving the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world.^(BI) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[f] is not in them.^{(BJ) 16} For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,^(BK) the lust of the eyes,^(BL) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away,^(BM) but whoever does the will of God^(BN) lives forever.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

¹⁸ Dear children, this is the last hour;^(BO) and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,^(BP) even now many antichrists have come.^(BQ) This is how we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us,^(BR) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.^(BS)

²⁰ But you have an anointing^(BT) from the Holy One,^(BU) and all of you know the truth.^{[g](BV) 21} I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it^(BW) and because no lie comes from the truth. ²² Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.^{(BX) 23} No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.^(BY)

²⁴ As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning^(BZ) remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.^{(CA) 25} And this is what he promised us—eternal life.^(CB)

²⁶ I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.^{(CC) 27} As for you, the anointing^(CD) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things^(CE) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.^(CF)

God’s Children and Sin

²⁸ And now, dear children,^(CG) continue in him, so that when he appears^(CH) we may be confident^(CI) and unashamed before him at his coming.^(CJ)

²⁹ If you know that he is righteous,^(CK) you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.^(CL)