Sunday, April 09, 2006

The Memory of Past Sins

1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with him (A) when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

2 (B) He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it.

3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "(C) I am Joseph! (D) Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for (E) they were dismayed at his presence.

4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you (F) sold into Egypt.

5 "Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because (G) you sold me here, for (H) God sent me before you to preserve life.

6 "For the famine has been in the land (I) these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

7 "(J) God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on Earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

8 "Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a (K) father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

9 "Hurry and go up to my father, and (L) say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.

10 "You shall live in the land of (M) Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have.

11 "There I will also (N) provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished."'

12 "Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you.

13 "Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and (O) bring my father down here."

-Genesis 45:1-13