Genesis 50

1  THEN JOSEPH fell upon his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.2  And Joseph ordered his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.3  Then forty days were devoted [to this purpose] for him, for that is the customary number of days required for those who are embalmed. And the Egyptians wept and bemoaned him [as they would for royalty] for seventy days.4  And when the days of his weeping and deep grief were past, Joseph said to [the nobles of] the house of Pharaoh, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, to Pharaoh [for Joseph was dressed in mourning and could not do so himself], saying,5  My father made me swear, saying, I am about to die; in my tomb which I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me. So now let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father, and I will come again.6  And Pharaoh said, Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.7  And Joseph went up [to Canaan] to bury his father; and with him went all the officials of Pharaoh--the nobles of his court, and the elders of his house and all the nobles and elders of the land of Egypt--8  And all the household of Joseph and his brethren and his father’s household. Only their little ones and their flocks and herds they left in the land of Goshen.9  And there went with [Joseph] both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company.10  And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond [west of] the Jordan, and there they mourned with a great lamentation and extreme demonstrations of sorrow [according to Egyptian custom]; and [Joseph] made a mourning for his father seven days.11  When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians. Therefore the place was called Abel-mizraim [mourning of Egypt]; it is west of the Jordan.12  Thus [Jacob’s] sons did for him as he had commanded them.13  For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought, along with the field, for a possession as a burying place from Ephron the Hittite.14  After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brethren and all who had gone up with him.15  When Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Perhaps now Joseph will hate us and will pay us back for all the evil we did to him.16  And they sent a messenger to Joseph, saying, Your father commanded before he died, saying,17  So shall you say to Joseph: Forgive (take up and away all resentment and all claim to requital concerning), I pray you now, the trespass of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you. Now, we pray you, forgive the trespass of the servants of your father’s God. And Joseph wept when they spoke thus to him.18  Then his brothers went and fell down before him, saying, See, we are your servants (your slaves)!19  And Joseph said to them, Fear not; for am I in the place of God? [Vengeance is His, not mine.]20  As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are this day.21  Now therefore, do not be afraid. I will provide for and support you and your little ones. And he comforted them [imparting cheer, hope, strength] and spoke to their hearts [kindly].22  Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived 110 years.23  And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation; the children also of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.24  And Joseph said to his brethren, I am going to die. But God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land to the land He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob [to give you].25  And Joseph took an oath from the sons of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and you will carry up my bones from here.26  So Joseph died, being 110 years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Genesis 50

The Burials of Jacob and Joseph

1 Then Joseph hugged his father’s face.t He wept over him and kissed him.2 Joseph instructed the physicians in his servicet to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel.

3 They took forty days, for that is the full time needed for embalming.t The Egyptians mournedt for him seventy days.s
4 When the days of mourningt had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s royal court,t “If I have found favor in your sight, please say to Pharaoh,t5 ‘My father made me swear an oath. He said,t “I am about to die. Bury met in my tomb that I dug for myself there in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go and bury my father; then I will return.’”

6 So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father, just as he made you swear to do.”t
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; all Pharaoh’s officials went with him – the senior courtierst of his household, all the senior officials of the land of Egypt,8 all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. But they left their little children and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen.

9 Chariots and horsemen also went up with him, so it was a very large entourage.t
10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atads on the other side of the Jordan, they mourned there with very great and bitter sorrow.t There Joseph observed a seven day period of mourning for his father.

11 When the Canaanites who lived in the land saw them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a very sad occasiont for the Egyptians.” That is why its name was calledt Abel Mizraim,s which is beyond the Jordan.
12 So the sons of Jacob did for him just as he had instructed them.13 His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the field Abraham purchased as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite.

14 After he buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to bury his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge and wants to repayt us in fullt for all the harmt we did to him?”16 So they sent wordt to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave these instructions before he died:17 ‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept.t18 Then his brothers also came and threw themselves down before him; they said, “Here we are; we are your slaves.”19 But Joseph answered them, “Don’t be afraid. Amt I in the place of God?20 As for you, you meant to harm me,t but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.t

21 So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Then he consoled them and spoke kindlyt to them.
22 Joseph lived in Egypt, along with his father’s family.t Joseph lived 110 years.

23 Joseph saw the descendants of Ephraim to the third generation.t He also saw the children of Makir the son of Manasseh; they were given special inheritance rights by Joseph.t
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to yout and lead you up from this land to the land he swore on oath to givet to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”25 Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

26 So Joseph died at the age of 110.t After they embalmed him, his bodyt was placed in a coffin in Egypt.