1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:
10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.
12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
23 And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.
24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.
1 Then Joseph H3130 could H3201 not refrain H662 himself before all them that stood H5324 by him; and he cried, H7121 Cause H3318 every man H376 to go out H3318 from me. And there stood H5975 no man H376 with him, while Joseph H3130 made himself known H3045 unto his brethren. H251
2 And he wept H6963 H1065 aloud: H5414 and the Egyptians H4714 and the house H1004 of Pharaoh H6547 heard. H8085 H8085
3 And Joseph H3130 said H559 unto his brethren, H251 I am Joseph; H3130 doth my father H1 yet live? H2416 And his brethren H251 could H3201 not answer H6030 him; for they were troubled H926 at his presence. H6440
4 And Joseph H3130 said H559 unto his brethren, H251 Come near H5066 to me, I pray you. And they came near. H5066 And he said, H559 I am Joseph H3130 your brother, H251 whom ye sold H4376 into Egypt. H4714
5 Now therefore be not grieved, H6087 nor angry H2734 with yourselves, H5869 that ye sold H4376 me hither: for God H430 did send H7971 me before you H6440 to preserve life. H4241
6 For these two years H8141 hath the famine H7458 been in H7130 the land: H776 and yet there are five H2568 years, H8141 in the which there shall neither H369 be earing H2758 nor harvest. H7105
7 And God H430 sent H7971 me before you H6440 to preserve H7760 you a posterity H7611 in the earth, H776 and to save your lives H2421 by a great H1419 deliverance. H6413
8 So now it was not you that sent H7971 me hither, but God: H430 and he hath made H7760 me a father H1 to Pharaoh, H6547 and lord H113 of all his house, H1004 and a ruler H4910 throughout all the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
9 Haste H4116 ye, and go up H5927 to my father, H1 and say H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 thy son H1121 Joseph, H3130 God H430 hath made H7760 me lord H113 of all Egypt: H4714 come down H3381 unto me, tarry H5975 not:
10 And thou shalt dwell H3427 in the land H776 of Goshen, H1657 and thou shalt be near H7138 unto me, thou, and thy children, H1121 and thy children's H1121 children, H1121 and thy flocks, H6629 and thy herds, H1241 and all that thou hast:
11 And there will I nourish H3557 thee; for yet there are five H2568 years H8141 of famine; H7458 lest thou, and thy household, H1004 and all that thou hast, come to poverty. H3423
12 And, behold, your eyes H5869 see, H7200 and the eyes H5869 of my brother H251 Benjamin, H1144 that it is my mouth H6310 that speaketh H1696 unto you.
13 And ye shall tell H5046 my father H1 of all my glory H3519 in Egypt, H4714 and of all that ye have seen; H7200 and ye shall haste H4116 and bring down H3381 my father H1 hither.
14 And he fell H5307 upon his brother H251 Benjamin's H1144 neck, H6677 and wept; H1058 and Benjamin H1144 wept H1058 upon his neck. H6677
15 Moreover he kissed H5401 all his brethren, H251 and wept H1058 upon them: and after H310 that his brethren H251 talked H1696 with him.
16 And the fame H6963 thereof was heard H8085 in Pharaoh's H6547 house, H1004 saying, H559 Joseph's H3130 brethren H251 are come: H935 and it pleased H3190 H5869 Pharaoh H6547 well, H3190 H5869 and H5869 his servants. H5650
17 And Pharaoh H6547 said H559 unto Joseph, H3130 Say H559 unto thy brethren, H251 This do H6213 ye; lade H2943 your beasts, H1165 and go, H3212 get H935 you unto the land H776 of Canaan; H3667
18 And take H3947 your father H1 and your households, H1004 and come H935 unto me: and I will give H5414 you the good H2898 of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and ye shall eat H398 the fat H2459 of the land. H776
19 Now thou art commanded, H6680 this do H6213 ye; take H3947 you wagons H5699 out of the land H776 of Egypt H4714 for your little ones, H2945 and for your wives, H802 and bring H5375 your father, H1 and come. H935
20 Also H5869 regard H2347 not your stuff; H3627 for the good H2898 of all the land H776 of Egypt H4714 is yours.
21 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 so: and Joseph H3130 gave H5414 them wagons, H5699 according to the commandment H6310 of Pharaoh, H6547 and gave H5414 them provision H6720 for the way. H1870
22 To all of them he gave H5414 each man H376 changes H2487 of raiment; H8071 but to Benjamin H1144 he gave H5414 three H7969 hundred H3967 pieces of silver, H3701 and five H2568 changes H2487 of raiment. H8071
23 And to his father H1 he sent H7971 after this H2063 manner; ten H6235 asses H2543 laden H5375 with the good things H2898 of Egypt, H4714 and ten H6235 she asses H860 laden H5375 with corn H1250 and bread H3899 and meat H4202 for his father H1 by the way. H1870
24 So he sent H7971 his brethren H251 away, H7971 and they departed: H3212 and he said H559 unto them, See that ye fall not out H7264 by the way. H1870
25 And they went up H5927 out of Egypt, H4714 and came H935 into the land H776 of Canaan H3667 unto Jacob H3290 their father, H1
26 And told H5046 him, saying, H559 Joseph H3130 is yet alive, H2416 and he is governor H4910 over all the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 And Jacob's heart H3820 fainted, H6313 for he believed H539 them not.
27 And they told H1696 him all the words H1697 of Joseph, H3130 which he had said H1696 unto them: and when he saw H7200 the wagons H5699 which Joseph H3130 had sent H7971 to carry H5375 him, the spirit H7307 of Jacob H3290 their father H1 revived: H2421
28 And Israel H3478 said, H559 It is enough; H7227 Joseph H3130 my son H1121 is yet alive: H2416 I will go H3212 and see him H7200 before I die. H4191
1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood before him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not;
10 and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
11 and there will I nourish thee; for there are yet five years of famine; lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast.
12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen: and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
16 And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
18 and take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye: take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
21 And the sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
23 And to his father he sent after this manner: ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way.
24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father.
26 And they told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt. And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
28 and Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.
1 And Joseph hath not been able to refrain himself before all those standing by him, and he calleth, `Put out every man from me;' and no man hath stood with him when Joseph maketh himself known unto his brethren,
2 and he giveth forth his voice in weeping, and the Egyptians hear, and the house of Pharaoh heareth.
3 And Joseph saith unto his brethren, `I `am' Joseph, is my father yet alive?' and his brethren have not been able to answer him, for they have been troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph saith unto his brethren, `Come nigh unto me, I pray you,' and they come nigh; and he saith, `I `am' Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt;
5 and now, be not grieved, nor let it be displeasing in your eyes that ye sold me hither, for to preserve life hath God sent me before you.
6 `Because these two years the famine `is' in the heart of the land, and yet `are' five years, `in' which there is neither ploughing nor harvest;
7 and God sendeth me before you, to place of you a remnant in the land, and to give life to you by a great escape;
8 and now, ye -- ye have not sent me hither, but God, and He doth set me for a father to Pharaoh, and for lord to all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 `Haste, and go up unto my father, then ye have said to him, Thus said Joseph thy son, God hath set me for lord to all Egypt; come down unto me, stay not,
10 and thou hast dwelt in the land of Goshen, and been near unto me, thou and thy sons, and thy son's sons, and thy flock, and thy herd, and all that thou hast,
11 and I have nourished thee there -- for yet `are' five years of famine -- lest thou become poor, thou and thy household, and all that thou hast.
12 `And lo, your eyes are seeing, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that `it is' my mouth which is speaking unto you;
13 and ye have declared to my father all my honour in Egypt, and all that ye have seen, and ye have hasted, and have brought down my father hither.'
14 And he falleth on the neck of Benjamin his brother, and weepeth, and Benjamin hath wept on his neck;
15 and he kisseth all his brethren, and weepeth over them; and afterwards have his brethren spoken with him.
16 And the sound hath been heard in the house of Pharaoh, saying, `Come have the brethren of Joseph;' and it is good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants,
17 and Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, `Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, enter ye the land of Canaan,
18 and take your father, and your households, and come unto me, and I give to you the good of the land of Egypt, and eat ye the fat of the land.
19 `Yea, thou -- thou hast been commanded: this do ye, take for yourselves out of the land of Egypt, waggons for your infants, and for your wives, and ye have brought your father, and come;
20 and your eye hath no pity on your vessels, for the good of all the land of Egypt `is' yours.'
21 And the sons of Israel do so, and Joseph giveth waggons to them by the command of Pharaoh, and he giveth to them provision for the way;
22 to all of them hath he given -- to each changes of garments, and to Benjamin he hath given three hundred silverlings, and five changes of garments;
23 and to his father he hath sent thus: ten asses bearing of the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses bearing corn and bread, even food for his father for the way.
24 And he sendeth his brethren away, and they go; and he saith unto them, `Be not angry in the way.'
25 And they go up out of Egypt, and come in to the land of Canaan, unto Jacob their father,
26 and they declare to him, saying, `Joseph `is' yet alive,' and that he `is' ruler over all the land of Egypt; and his heart ceaseth, for he hath not given credence to them.
27 And they speak unto him all the words of Joseph, which he hath spoken unto them, and he seeth the waggons which Joseph hath sent to bear him away, and live doth the spirit of Jacob their father;
28 and Israel saith, `Enough! Joseph my son `is' yet alive; I go and see him before I die.'
1 And Joseph could not control himself before all them that stood by him, and he cried, Put every man out from me! And no man stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brethren.
2 And he raised his voice in weeping; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said to his brethren, I am Joseph. Does my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said to his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 And now, be not grieved, and be not angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
6 For the famine has been these two years in the land; and yet there are five years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest.
7 So God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.
8 And now it was not you [that] sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and governor over all the land of Egypt.
9 Haste and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus says thy son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, tarry not.
10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near to me, thou, and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, and thy sheep, and thy cattle, and all that thou hast.
11 And there will I maintain thee; for yet there are five years of famine; in order that thou be not impoverished, thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast.
12 And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth which speaks to you.
13 And tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen, and haste and bring down my father hither.
14 And he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck.
15 And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren talked with him.
16 And the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come. And it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his bondmen.
17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to thy brethren, Do this: load your beasts and depart, go into the land of Canaan,
18 and take your father and your households, and come to me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
19 And thou art commanded -- this do: take waggons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and take up your father, and come.
20 And let not your eye regret your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt shall be yours.
21 And the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them waggons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22 To each one of them all he gave changes of clothing; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred [pieces] of silver and five changes of clothing.
23 And to his father he sent this: ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread, and food for his father by the way.
24 And he sent his brethren away, and they departed. And he said to them, Do not quarrel on the way.
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan to Jacob their father.
26 And they told him, saying, Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And his heart fainted, for he did not believe them.
27 And they spoke to him all the words of Joseph, which he had spoken to them. And he saw the waggons that Joseph had sent to carry him. And the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
28 And Israel said, It is enough: Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die.
1 Then Joseph couldn't control himself before all those who stood before him, and he cried, "Cause every man to go out from me!" There stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2 He 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.
5 Now 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 neither plowing nor harvest.
7 God sent me before you to preserve 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.
9 Hurry, 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.
11 There I will nourish 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."
14 He 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.
16 The 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.'
19 Now you are commanded: 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 of the land of Egypt is yours."
21 The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22 To all of them he gave each man changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.
23 To his father, he sent after this manner: 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.
24 So 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.
26 They 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."
1 Then Joseph, unable to keep back his feelings before those who were with him, gave orders for everyone to be sent away, and no one was present when he made clear to his brothers who he was.
2 And so loud was his weeping, that it came to the ears of the Egyptians and all Pharaoh's house.
3 And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph: is my father still living? But his brothers were not able to give him an answer for they were troubled before him.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me. And they came near, And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sent into Egypt.
5 Now do not be troubled or angry with yourselves for sending me away, because God sent me before you to be the saviour of your lives.
6 For these two years have been years of need, and there are still five more years to come in which there will be no ploughing or cutting of grain.
7 God sent me before you to keep you and yours living on earth so that you might become a great nation.
8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God: and he has made me as a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 Now go quickly to my father, and say to him, Your son Joseph says, God has made me ruler over all the land of Egypt: come down to me straight away:
10 The land of Goshen will be your living-place, and you will be near me; you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks and herds and all you have:
11 And there I will take care of you, so that you and your family may not be in need, for there are still five bad years to come.
12 Now truly, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which says these things to you.
13 Give my father word of all my glory in Egypt and of all you have seen; and come back quickly with my father.
14 Then, weeping, he took Benjamin in his arms, and Benjamin himself was weeping on Joseph's neck.
15 Then he gave a kiss to all his brothers, weeping over them; and after that his brothers had no fear of talking to him.
16 And news of these things went through Pharaoh's house, and it was said that Joseph's brothers were come; and it seemed good to Pharaoh and his servants.
17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brothers, Put your goods on your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan;
18 And get your father and your families and come back to me: and I will give you all the good things of Egypt, and the fat of the land will be your food.
19 And say to them, This you are to do: take carts from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and get your father and come back.
20 And take no thought for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.
21 And the children of Israel did as he said; and Joseph gave them carts as had been ordered by Pharaoh, and food for their journey.
22 To every one of them he gave three changes of clothing; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred bits of silver and five changes of clothing.
23 And to his father he sent ten asses with good things from Egypt on their backs, and ten she-asses with grain and bread and food for his father on the journey.
24 And he sent his brothers on their way, and said to them, See that you have no argument on the road.
25 So they went up from Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob.
26 And they said to him, Joseph is living, and is ruler over all the land of Egypt. And at this word Jacob was quite overcome, for he had no faith in it.
27 And they gave him an account of everything Joseph had said to them; and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent for them, his spirit came back to him:
28 And Israel said, It is enough: Joseph my son is still living; I will go and see him before my death.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Genesis 45
Commentary on Genesis 45 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 45
This chapter contains an account of Joseph's making himself known to his brethren, which was done when they were alone, Genesis 45:1; when he encouraged them not to distress themselves on account of their selling him into Egypt, for God in his providence had sent him there for their good, Genesis 45:5; and he ordered them to go forthwith to Canaan, and acquaint his father with all the honour and glory they saw him in, and to desire him to come thither to him, where he should be provided for during the five years of famine yet to come, in the best part of the land of Egypt, Genesis 45:9; upon which he expressed the strongest affection to Benjamin, and to all his brethren, Genesis 45:14; the fame of this was soon spread in the house of Pharaoh, which gave the king great pleasure, who immediately expressed his earnest desire that his father might come and settle in Egypt, and ordered provisions to be sent him, and carriages to bring him down, and all that belonged to him, Genesis 45:16; and Joseph accordingly delivered to his brethren wagons and provisions for the way, and gave gifts to them, and sent a present to his father, and dismissed his brethren with an exhortation not to fall out by the way, Genesis 45:21; and when they came to Canaan, they acquainted their father with all these things, who at first could not believe them; but when he saw the wagons, his spirit revived, and determined to go and see his son, Genesis 45:25.
Then Joseph could not refrain himself,.... That he should not weep, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; at least he could not much longer refrain from tears, such an effect Judah's speech had on his passions:
before all them that stood before him; his servants that attended him and waited upon him, the steward of his house, and others, upon whose account he put such a force upon himself, to keep in his passions from giving vent, that they might not discover the inward motions of his mind; but not being able to conceal them any longer:
and he cried; or called out with a loud voice, and an air of authority:
cause every man to go out from me; out of the room in which he and his brethren were; perhaps this order was given to the steward of the house to depart himself, and to remove every inferior officer and servant upon the spot; or other people that might be come in to hear the trial of those men, and to see how they would be dealt with:
and there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren; not that Joseph was ashamed of them, and of owning before them the relation he stood in to them; but that they might not see the confusion his brethren would be thrown into, and have knowledge of the sin they had been guilty of in selling him which could not fail of being mentioned by him, and confessed by them; and besides, it was not suitable to his grandeur and dignity to be seen in such an extreme passion he was now going into.
And he wept aloud,....; Or "gave forth his voice in weeping"F18ויתן את קלו בבכי "et dedit vocem suam in fletu", Montanus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt. ; as he wept he cried aloud; for having put such a violent restraint on himself, as the flood of tears was the greater, so his voice was the stronger and louder for it:
and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard; the Egyptians, that were in the room or rooms adjoining to that where Joseph was, heard his cry, and perhaps a great deal of what was said; which they soon reported to others, and it quickly reached Pharaoh's court, which might not be at any great distance.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph,.... As soon as he could compose himself a little, and utter his words, the first thing he said was, that he was Joseph; that was his right name, his Hebrew name; though he was called by the Egyptians Zaphnathpaaneah, and by which name Joseph's brethren only knew him, if they knew his name at all; and it must be very startling to them to bear this sound, and to be told by himself that that was his name; and which was not all he meant and they understood, but that he was Joseph their brother as afterwards expressed:
doth my father yet live? this he knew before, for they had told him he was alive; wherefore he puts this question not through ignorance, or as doubting but to express his affliction for his father, and his joy that he was alive:
and his brethren could not answer him; they were so surprised and astonished; they were like men thunderstruck, they were not able to utter a word for awhile:
for they were troubled at his presence; the sin of selling him came fresh into their minds, the guilt of it pressed their consciences, and the circumstances that Joseph was in filled them with fear that he would avenge himself on them.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, come near to me, I pray you,.... Very probably Joseph sat in a chair of state while they were under examination, and through reverence of him they kept at a proper distance; or being frightened at what he had said, he might observe them drawing back, as Jarchi remarks, and so encourages them in a kind and tender manner to return and come nearer to him, and the rather, that they might more privately converse together without being overheard; as also that they might, by approaching him discern and call to mind some of his features still remaining, by which they might be assured he was Joseph indeed:
and they came near, and he said, I am Joseph your brother; not only his name was Joseph, but he was that Joseph that was their brother; he claims and owns the relation between them, which must be very affecting to them, who had used him so unkindly:
whom ye sold into Egypt: which is added, not so much to put them in mind of and upbraid them with their sin, but to assure them that he was really their brother Joseph; which he could not have related had he not been he, as well as to lead on to what he had further to say to them for their comfort.
Now therefore be not grieved,.... To an excess, so as to be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow; otherwise it became them to be grieved for their sin, and to show a godly sorrow and true repentance for it:
nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; reflect upon themselves, and afflict themselves in an immoderate way; or break forth into anger and wrath with one another, upbraiding and blaming each other for their conduct in that affair, and so foment contentions and quarrels among themselves:
for God did send me before you to preserve life; the life of thousands of persons in Egypt, Canaan, and other countries; and particularly to preserve their lives was he sent before them into Egypt; where, by interpretation Pharaoh's dreams, by which he understood and did foretell the seven years of plenty and seven years of famine, he was to great honour and trust, and laid up a sufficiency of corn in the time of plenty to answer the exigencies of various countries in the time of famine, and, among the rest, of his own family; and therefore would have this attributed by them to the wise disposing providence of God.
For these two years hath the famine been, in the land,.... In the land of Egypt and in the countries round about:
and yet there are five years; still remaining, which he knew by the above dreams and the interpretation of them:
in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest; that is, no tillage of land, neither ploughing nor sowing, and so no reaping, or gathering in of the fruits of the earth, as used to be in harvest; at least, there would be very little ground tilled, only it may be on the banks of the Nile, since they had no corn to spare for seed; and besides, as the Egyptians knew by Joseph's prediction that the Nile would not overflow, it was to no purpose to attempt to plough their land, which through seven years of drought was become very difficult, or to sow, could they get the seed into the ground, since there was no likelihood of its springing up again.
And God sent me before you,.... This he repeats to impress the minds of his brethren with a sense of the good providence of God in bringing him to Egypt before them, to make provision for their future welfare, and to alleviate their grief, and prevent an excessive sorrow for their selling him into Egypt, when by the overruling hand of God it proved so salutary to them:
to preserve you a posterity in the earth; that they and theirs might not perish, which otherwise, in all human probability, must have been the case; and that the promise of the multiplication of Abraham's seed might not be made of none effect, but continue to take place, from whence the Messiah was to spring:
and to save your lives by a great deliverance; from the extreme danger they were exposed unto, through the terrible famine, and in which deliverance were to be observed the great wisdom, goodness, power, and providence of God.
So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God,.... Which is to be understood not absolutely, as if they had no concern at all in sending him thither; they sold him to the Ishmaelites, who brought him down to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, and so were instrumental in his coming to Egypt; but comparatively, it was not they so much as God that sent him; whose providence directed, disposed, and overruled all those events, to bring Joseph to this place, and to such an high station, to answer the purposes and designs of God in providing for and preserving Jacob's family in a time of distress:
and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh: to be a teacher to him, as Aben Ezra, that is, to be his counsellor, to advise him well in all things, as a father his children; or to be his partner and patron, as Jarchi, to have a share with him in power and authority, and to be reckoned as a father to him, see Genesis 41:43; and to provide for him and the welfare of his kingdom, as parents do for their children: the following phrases explain it of rule and government; and the meaning is, that he was a great man, and a princeF19So it is interpreted by R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 50. 1. in Pharaoh's court:
and lord of all his house; his prime minister, chief counsellor and courtier:
and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt; to whom all the deputies of the several provinces were subject under Pharaoh, and especially in the affair of the corn.
Haste you, and go up to my father,.... In Canaan, which lay higher than Egypt; being desirous he should know as soon as possible that he was alive, and in what circumstances he was:
and say unto him, thus saith thy son Joseph; without any title, such as the father and counsellor of Pharaoh and governor of Egypt, only Joseph his son, which would be enough to revive the heart of Jacob:
God hath made me lord over all Egypt: his exaltation to this dignity he ascribes, not to Pharaoh, but to God; civil honour and promotion to worldly grandeur and dignity are from God, and not from man:
come down unto me, tarry not; the great business on his hands not permitting him to go to his father and fetch him to Egypt, he desires that he would come to him without delay, which would be greatly to the advantage of him and his family, and to their mutual comfort.
And thou shall dwell in the land of Goshen,.... Called by ArtapanusF20Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 23. p. 27. Kaisan or Kessan; the Septuagint version Gesan of Arabia, as it was that part of Egypt which bordered on Arabia: it seems to be the same with the land of Rameses, see Genesis 47:11; and the Heliopolitan home, which, StraboF21Geograph. l. 17. p. 555. says, was reckoned to be in Arabia, and in which were both the city of Heliopolis and the city Heroopolis, according to PtolemyF23Geograph. l. 4. c. 5. ; for in the Septuagint version of Genesis 46:28, instead of Goshen is Heroopolis, or the city of the Heroes in the land of Rameses, with which agrees JosephusF24Antiqu. l. 2. c. 7. sect. 5. : wherefore Dr. ShawF25Travels, 305, 306. Ed. 2. observes, the land of Rameses or Goshen could be no other than the Heliopolitan home, taking in that part of Arabia which lay bounded near Heliopolis by the Nile, and near Heroopolis by the correspondent part of the Red Sea. Now either before this time Joseph had got a grant of this country, of Pharaoh, to dispose of at pleasure, or he had so much power and authority of himself as to put his father into it: or it may be, it was the domains of his father in law the priest of On, since On or Onii, according to PtolemyF26 , was the metropolis of the Heliopolitan home, and by some thought to be Heliopolis itself, and perhaps might be Joseph's own country, which he had with the daughter of the priest of On: indeed if what the Jewish writers sayF1Pirke Eliezer, c. 26. , that Pharaoh, king of Egypt in Abraham's time, gave to Sarah the land of Goshen for an inheritance, and therefore the Israelites dwelt in it, because it was Sarah their "mother's"; it would account for Joseph's proposing to put them into the possession of it without the leave of Pharaoh; but Goshen seems to have been in the grant of Pharaoh, who agreed and confirmed what Joseph proposed, Genesis 47:6,
and thou shalt be near unto me; as he would be in Goshen, if Memphis was the royal seat at this time, as some thinkF2 , and not Tanis or Zoan; or Heliopolis, or both, in their turn; and ArtapanusF3Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 23, 27. is express for it, that Memphis was the seat of that king of Egypt, in whose court Moses was brought up; and especially Heliopolis, nay be thought to be so, if Joseph dwelt at On or Heliopolis, where his father in law was priest or prince, which was near if not in Goshen itself: and according to BuntingF4Travels, &c. p. 76. , On or Oni was the metropolis of Goshen; and Leo Africanus saysF5Descriptio Africae, l. 8. p. 669. , that the sahidic province, in which was Fium, where the Israelites dwelt, see Genesis 47:11, was the seat of the nobility of the ancient Egyptians:
thou and thy children, and thy children's children: for Jacob's sons had all of them children, even Benjamin the youngest, as appears from the following chapter:
and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast; and Goshen, being a place of pasturage, was fit and suitable for them; and so Josephus saysF6 , of Heliopolis, which he takes to be the place where Jacob was placed, that there the king's shepherds had their pastures.
And there will I nourish thee,.... Provide for him and his family:
for yet there are five years of famine; still to come, two of the seven only being past:
lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty; his whole posterity be consumed, as it would be in all probability, if he did not procure food for his family during the famine.
And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin,.... They were eyewitnesses of his being alive, having themselves seen him, and even Benjamin, who could not be suspected by his father of a fraud in imposing on him; and some of them could doubtless remember his features, and had an ocular proof of his being the very person, which they could with great evidence relate unto Jacob; as also his voice in speaking:
that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you; without an interpreter, as Aben Ezra, and in the Hebrew language, as the Targum and Jarchi; which might confirm them, and likewise their father upon their report, that the governor was not an Egyptian, but an Hebrew; and by that and other concurrent testimonies that he must be Joseph.
And you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt,.... His wealth and riches, his grandeur and dignity, his power and authority:
and of all that you have seen; what a magnificent house he dwelt in; what a numerous train of servants he had; in what majesty he rode in the second chariot to the king; and what authority he exercised over the people, and what reverence they gave him, and what power he had, particularly in the distribution of corn:
and ye shall haste, and bring down my father hither; for Joseph had an eager desire to see him, wherefore this is repeated.
And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept,.... On his neck first, because he was his own brother by father and mother's side; and he wept over him for joy that he had a sight of him once more: the word for "neck" is in the plural number, and being used, may signify that he fell first on one side of his neck, and then on the other, to show his great affection for him:
and Benjamin wept upon his neck; their love and the tokens of it were reciprocal.
Moreover, he kissed all his brethren,.... In their turns, to testify his real affection for them, and hearty reconciliation to them:
and wept upon them; that is, upon their necks, as he had on Benjamin's:
and after that his brethren talked with him: being emboldened by this carriage of his to them, and encouraged to believe that he really forgave them their sin against him, and was truly reconciled unto them, and had a real affection for them, and had no reason to fear he would avenge himself on them: they entered into a free conversation, and talked of their father and their family, and the concerns of it, and of what passed since the time he was separated from them.
And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house,.... The report was carried to court, and there it was told by some from Joseph's house, who had overheard what had passed, at least somewhat of it:
saying, Joseph's brethren are come; perhaps they might call him by his Egyptian name, though the historian gives him his Hebrew name, and which was his right name, and by which he was best known to the Hebrews, for whose sake chiefly he wrote:
and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants; for Joseph being greatly beloved both by the king and his courtiers, who are meant by his servants, they were glad of an opportunity of showing their further regard to him, by their respect and civilities to his relations and friends, who had been the means of providing for the welfare of the whole kingdom, and of saving all their lives; Pharaoh's expressions of pleasure on this occasion were, no doubt sincere, whatever were those of his courtiers; who might not so well affect a stranger, and one that had been in a very low estate of life, to be raised above them, and have so much trust reposed is him, and honour conferred upon him, and might dissemble in their respect to Joseph before their sovereign; though such might be the prudence and affability of Joseph, and such the sense they had of their obligations to him in point of gratitude, that they might be really pleased to hear that his brethren were come; and the rather Pharaoh and his court might be the more delighted, because that it appeared that he came of a good family in Canaan; whereas they knew no more of him than of his having been a slave in Potiphar's house, and then cast into a prison for a crime charged upon him, out of which he was taken, and made the great man he was.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,.... Who, it is highly probable, waited upon Pharaoh to acquaint him with the coming of his brethren; for it cannot be imagined that Pharaoh should say what follows upon a bare report, without having a further account of things from Joseph, or that he would neglect giving it, but take the first opportunity to inform him, whereupon he gave him the following order:
say unto thy brethren, this do ye; give them directions and instructions to do as follows:
lade your asses: with provisions for the present necessity of their father's household in Canaan, and for their journey back to Egypt:
and go, get you into the land of Canaan; with all the haste they could make.
And take your father, and your households,.... Or families, for they were all married persons, and had children, and no doubt servants also: all were to be brought with them:
and come unto me; into his kingdom, to his metropolis, and to his palace, and into his presence:
and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt; the best things which it affords, and the best and most fruitful part of it, as he afterwards did, which was the land of Goshen:
and ye shall eat the fat of the land; the choicest fruits of the earth, such as were produced in fields and gardens; meaning that they should have the finest of the wheat for themselves, and the fattest pastures for their flocks.
Now thou art commanded, this do ye,.... Had his orders from Pharaoh; had full power and authority to do the above things, and what follows: the sense Joseph Kimchi gives of this clause is, that Joseph was ordered by Pharaoh not to let any wagons go out of Egypt with corn, lest the Egyptians should want; but now Pharaoh said to him, though thou wert thus ordered, yet bid thy brethren do as follows:
take you wagons out of the land of Egypt: and lade them with corn, as the same writer observes; the Targum of Jonathan adds, which were drawn by oxen:
for your little ones, and for your wives: the wagons were to carry the women and children in when they returned:
and bring your father, and come; in one of the carriages, or in what way was most agreeable to him in his old age.
Also regard not your stuff,.... Or "your vessels"F7על כליכם "vasis vestris", Fagius, Drusius, "supellectilibus vestris", Pagninus, Schmidt; "propter vestra supellectilia", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. , utensils, household goods; he would not have them to be concerned if they could not bring all their goods with them, but were obliged to leave some behind, and which, because of the distance of the way and difficulty of the road, lying through sandy deserts, could not well be brought, since there was enough to be had in the land of Egypt; therefore, as it may be rendered, "let not your eye spare"F8עינכם אל תחס "oculus vester non parcat", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Drusius, Schmidt. , or "pity": do not be grieved at it, or say it is a pity to leave these good things behind. Some render and explain the words just the reverse, "leave nothing of your household goods"F9"Nee dimittatis quicquam de supellectili vestra", V. L. so Mercerus. ; bring all away with you, as if he would not have them think of returning again, but of settling and continuing in Egypt; but this does not so well agree with what follows as the former sense does:
for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours: whatever good things were in it, whether for food or use for themselves, their houses, or their flocks, all were at their service, and they were welcome to them; or the best or most fruitful part of the country was designed for them, and would be given to them, or was at their option.
And the children of Israel did so,.... As Pharaoh commanded, and Joseph from him directed them to do:
and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh: and beasts, either horses or oxen to draw them, and these not empty, though the principal use of them was to fetch his father and his family, and their goods:
and gave them provision for the way: both going and returning, as much as would suffice for both.
To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment,.... Rich apparel, two suits of clothes, to shift and change upon occasion, such as HomerF11Odyss. 8. calls ιματια εξαμειβα, "changeable garments"; those he gave to everyone of his brethren, partly that they might have something to show to their father and to their wives, which would cause them to give credit to the report they should give of Joseph, and his great prosperity; and partly that they might, upon their return, be provided with suitable apparel to appear before Pharaoh, and chiefly this was intended to show his great respect and affection for them, and reconciliation to them:
but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver; or shekels, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, which amounted to between thirty and forty pounds of our money; the Septuagint very wrongly renders it three hundred "pieces of gold"; and besides these he gave him also
five changes of raiment; because of his greater love and affection for him.
And to his father he sent after this manner,.... Or "according to" thisF12כזאת "sicut hoc", Pagninus, Montanus; "in hunc modum", Tigurine version. ; either in like manner, as he gave his brethren change of raiment, &c. so he sent the like to him, as Aben Ezra and Ben Melech interpret it, referring it to what goes before; or rather as Jarchi, according to this account or number, even which follows: namely:
ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt: the best things the land afforded; the Targum of Jonathan says with wine, but that Egypt did not abound with; and so Jarchi, out of the Talmud, observes, that it was old wine that was sent, such as is agreeable to ancient men:
and ten she asses laden with corn; not made up into bread, next mentioned, and so distinguished from it:
and bread: ready made and baked:
and meat for his father by the way; food and fruit of various sorts; Aben Ezra reckons many, peas, beans, lentils, millet, fetches, figs, currants, and dates.
So he sent his brethren away, and they departed,.... From Egypt to Canaan with the wagons, asses, and rich presents:
and he said unto them, see that ye fall not out by the way; the Targum of Jonathan adds, about the affair of selling me; which he had reason to fear they would, from what they, and particularly Reuben, had said in his presence, Genesis 42:21; he was jealous this would be the subject of their discourse by the way, and that they would be blaming one another about it, and so fall into contentions and quarrels; that one would say it was owing to the reports of such an one concerning him, that they entertained hatred against him; that it was such an one that advised to kill him, and such an one that stripped him of his clothes, and such an one that put him into the pit, and such an one that was the cause of his being sold; and thus shifting of things from one to another, and aggravating each other's concern in this matter, they might stir up and provoke one another to wrath and anger, as the word used signifies, which might have a bad issue; to prevent which Joseph gives them this kind and good advice; and especially there was the more reason to attend to it, since he was reconciled unto them, and was desirous the whole should be buried in oblivion.
And they went up out of Egypt,.... That lying lower than the land of Canaan:
and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father; they found him alive and well.
And told him,.... What had happened to them in Egypt:
saying, Joseph is yet alive; who was thought by him and them to have been dead long ago:
and he is governor over all the land of Egypt; deputy governor, and had such power and authority that nothing was done without his order; the executive power or administration of government was put into his hands, and all the officers of the kingdom were under him, he was next to Pharaoh:
and Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not; it was too great and too good news to be true; though it was desirable, it was unexpected; it amazed him, he knew not what to think, or say or believe about it; there was such a conflict of the passions in him, that he could not compose himself, or reason with himself about it; and what might serve the more to hinder his belief of it was, that this report of theirs was contrary to what they themselves had before related of his death; and very likely upon the mention of the thing he fell into a swoon, and was not himself for a while; and when he came a little to himself, they went on with their account, as follows.
And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them,.... Not concerning their selling of him, and his forgiveness of them, and reconciliation to them, which perhaps Jacob never heard of to his dying day, since he makes no mention of it, nor hints at it in his dying words to them; but of his great advancement in the court of Pharaoh, and how desirous he was to have his father and family with him, and provide for them, since there were five years of famine yet to come:
and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, and his sons wives and children, down to Egypt in; and which were so grand and magnificent, that he was easily persuaded could never have been provided by his sons, if what they had said concerning Joseph was not true: and then
the spirit of Jacob their father revived: not the Holy Spirit, or spirit of prophecy, as the Targums, which the Jews say departed from him, and had not been with him since the loss of Joseph, but now returned; but his own natural spirit, he became lively and cheerful, giving credit to the report of his sons.
And Israel said, it is enough, Joseph my son is yet alive,.... Or it is "much" or "great"F13רב "multum", Montanus, Munster, Drusius, Schmidt; μεγα μοι εστιν Sept. ; he had much joy, as the Targums; this was the greatest blessing of all, and more to him than all the glory and splendour that Joseph was in; that he was alive, that was enough for Jacob, which gave him content and pleasure; not so much the news of his grandeur in Egypt, as of his being in the land of the living:
I will go and see him before I die; though his age was great, the journey long and difficult, so great was his desire of seeing Joseph, that he determines at once upon going, expecting death shortly: no doubt but this was said in submission to the will of God, and in seeking him by prayer and supplication, and in the exercise of faith, believing that God would grant him his desire, than which nothing in life could be more desirable to him, and he only wished to live to enjoy this favour. In Joseph's making himself known unto his brethren, he was a type of Christ, who manifests himself to his people alone, and as he does not unto the world, saying unto them, that he is Jesus the Saviour, their friend and brother, and whom they crucified, whose sins were the cause of his sufferings; and yet encourages them to draw nigh unto him with an humble and holy boldness, giving them abundant reason to believe that he will receive them kindly, seeing that all that were done to him were by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, and for their good, even for their eternal salvation; and that they might not perish, but have everlasting life; and to whom he now gives change of raiment, riches and honour, yea, durable riches and righteousness; and declares it to be his will, that where he is, they may be also, and behold his glory: and this is sufficient to engage them to reckon all their worldly enjoyments as mere stuff, contemptible things in comparison of the good and glories of another world they are hastening to, where there will be fulness of joy, and pleasures for evermore; and therefore should not fall out by the way, as they too often do.