Not suspecting that the Egyptian ruler understood the Hebrew language, the sons of Jacob began to lament bitterly and said among themselves that they had been justly punished for the dishonorable act they had committed against their brother. Thus Joseph learned that his brothers had long since repented of their crime and that they were, in fact, not bad men. As Joseph listened to their repentance, he was deeply moved, so that he had to go into the next room and weep out his heartache and longing for his family. Wiping away his tears, Joseph pulled himself together, ordered the brothers to fill the sacks with bread and only Simeon ordered to be taken to prison as a hostage. Secretly from the brothers, Joseph also ordered the silver they had paid for the bread to be put into sacks. By this he wanted to test their honesty.

On the way, the brothers stopped for the night. Untying the sacks of wheat to feed the donkeys, they found their money paid for the bread. Thinking that there had been some kind of mistake, the brothers decided to return the money the next time they arrived in Egypt. This, however, did not happen quickly, for Jacob would never part with Benjamin, and Simeon meanwhile was losing hope that he would ever be released.

Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers

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Soon the food supplies were exhausted, and Jacob's family again began to suffer from hunger. But Jacob still did not want to let Benjamin go, without whom his sons did not want to go to Egypt. Finally, Judah's oath that he would take full responsibility for Benjamin's safety broke Jacob's will, and he let Benjamin go. In order to appease the Egyptian commander, Jacob sent him a gift of some balm and honey, fragrant herbs and frankincense, pistachios and almonds, and also ordered him to return to the Egyptian commander the money, which in a completely inexplicable way ended up in the sacks. The brothers went to Egypt with the darkest forebodings, but soon their fears were dispelled.

When Joseph saw Benjamin, he invited them into his house. He ordered the cooks to prepare dinner, and entrusted the guests to the care of the steward so that they could wash themselves from the dust. The brothers took advantage of this opportunity to return the money found in the bags. But, to their surprise, Joseph's servant refused to accept the money and calmed them down with the words: "Be calm, do not be afraid: Your money has come to me" (Gen. 43:23). The brothers were completely calmed down when the steward brought Simeon to them from prison. At noon, when it was time for dinner, Joseph came in to see them. The brothers bowed down to the ground before the Egyptian ruler and presented him with the gifts sent by Jacob. Joseph greeted them, looked at the gifts, and asked about his father's health. And when he raised his eyes to Benjamin, his brother, such love flared up in him that only by the greatest effort of will did he hold back tears. He quickly went out into the inner room and gave vent to his tears. Then he washed his face and, returning to the room prepared for dinner, ordered it to be served. During dinner, Joseph made sure that young Benjamin was served large portions and the best meals. Wine was served for dinner, and merriment soon reigned at the table. The next day Joseph ordered his steward to put the money again in the sack of each of the brothers, and in the sack

Benjamin also ordered his silver cup to be laid down. As soon as the sons of Jacob and the loaded donkeys were outside the city, Joseph sent his steward in pursuit of them. The brothers were very frightened when they were suddenly surrounded by armed guards led by the steward. Joseph's servant approached the brothers with a menacing look and accused them of stealing the silver cup of the governor.

The brothers, of course, vehemently objected and, agreeing to be searched, declared: "Whosoever of thy servants hath found [the cup], to him shall be death, and we shall be servants to our master" (Gen. 44:9). But the steward replied that he would take only the thief to prison, who would become the slave of the master, and all the rest would be free. What was the surprise of the brothers when the silver cup was taken out of Benjamin's bag! The sons of Jacob in despair tore their clothes and wept over their unfortunate fate. They decided not to leave Benjamin in trouble and returned with him to Joseph's palace. When they saw Joseph, they fell at his feet and begged him to leave them in slavery with Benjamin. But the Egyptian commander would not accept their sacrifice and insisted that Benjamin alone should be punished. Then Judas stepped forward and, turning to Joseph, made a touching speech, in which he began to depict the mortal sorrow of the soul of their father Jacob at the loss of the last son of his beloved wife Rachel. In conclusion, he said: "Let me, therefore, your servant, remain a servant of my master instead of a child, and let the child go with his brethren" (Gen. 44:33).

Seeing that his half-brothers were worthy, Joseph could no longer conceal his feelings. He removed all the Egyptians from the room and revealed to his brothers who he was. "I am Joseph, is my father still alive?" He said to his brothers, weeping loudly. The brothers were troubled, they were seized with terror, and Joseph continued: "Come to me, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt; but now grieve not, nor be sorry that ye have sold me hither, for God hath sent me before you to preserve your life" (Gen. 45:35). He kissed each brother tenderly, but with a particularly warm feeling he embraced Benjamin, his beloved brother. Then, when he had wiped away his tears of joy, he said to his brothers, "Go quickly to my father and tell him, 'Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord over all Egypt; come to me, do not delay; you will dwell in the land of Goshen; And thou shalt be near me, thou, and thy sons, and the sons of thy sons, and thy flocks and herds, and all that is thine; and I will feed thee there, for the famine shall be five years more, lest thou impoverish thy house, and all that is thine" (Gen. 45:911).

The news of Joseph's extraordinary meeting with his brothers quickly reached the royal palace. Pharaoh allowed Joseph to bring all his relatives from Canaan and send chariots for them so that it would be easier for them to move. Joseph did as Pharaoh commanded him. In addition, he generously gave gifts to his entire family and gave them a lot of bread for the journey. When the sons arrived in Canaan and told their father what an adventure had happened to them in Pharaoh's palace, he did not believe it at first, and was convinced only when he saw the gifts and the king's chariots. Weeping for joy, he said: "My son Joseph is still alive, I will go and see him until I die" (Gen. 45:28).

Chapter IV: The Period of the Sojourn of the Jews in Egypt Israel's Migration to Egypt

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His father's loving heart longed for the companionship of his beloved Joseph, but Jacob's faith was stronger than his father's. He did not want to leave the land that God had given him and his descendants without God's blessing. After the sacrifice, the Lord appeared to him and said: "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation; I will go with you to Egypt, and I will bring you back. Joseph shall shut thy eyes with his hand" (Gen. 46:34). The tribe of Israel, seventy-five in number, went to Egypt and stopped in the land of Goshen, near the delta of the Nile. When Joseph was notified of his father's arrival, he rushed in a chariot to meet him and threw himself on his neck weeping. The agitated elder said to Joseph:

"I will die now when I see your face, for you are still alive" (Gen. 46:30). Then Joseph led his father and five of his brothers to the palace and presented them to Pharaoh. In response to the brothers' request, Pharaoh allowed them to settle in the land of Goshen. Turning to Jacob, he asked, "How many years of thy life?" - "The days of my wandering are one hundred and thirty years, the days of my life are small and miserable," the elder answered and blessed Pharaoh (Gen. 47:89).