15 After the death of their father, Joseph's brothers said, “What if Joseph still hates us and plans to pay us back for all the harm we did to him?”
16 So they sent a message to Joseph: “Before our father died,
17 he told us to ask you, ‘Please forgive the crime your brothers committed when they wronged you.’ Now please forgive us the wrong that we, the servants of your father's God, have done.” Joseph cried when he received this message.
18 Then his brothers themselves came and bowed down before him. “Here we are before you as your slaves,” they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don't be afraid; I can't put myself in the place of God.
20 You plotted evil against me, but God turned it into good, in order to preserve the lives of many people who are alive today because of what happened.
21 You have nothing to fear. I will take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them with kind words that touched their hearts.