Genesis 50

Joseph Buries His Father

1 Joseph threw himself on his father, cried over him, and kissed him.2 Then Joseph ordered the doctors in his service to embalm his father. So the doctors embalmed Israel.

3 The embalming was completed in the usual time—40 days. The Egyptians mourned for him 70 days.
4 When the time of mourning for Jacob was over, Joseph spoke to the Pharaoh’s palace staff. He said, “Please speak directly to Pharaoh. Tell him,

5 ‘My father made me swear an oath. He said, “I’m about to die. Bury me in the tomb I bought for myself in Canaan.” Please let me go there and bury my father; then I’ll come back.’ ”
6 Pharaoh replied, “Go and bury your father, as you have promised him.”7 So Joseph left to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials, the leaders in his palace staff, and all the leaders of Egypt went with him.8 Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household also went with him. (Only their children, their flocks, and their cattle were left in Goshen.)

9 Chariots and horsemen went with him. It was a very large group.
10 When they came to the threshing floort of Atad, which is on the east side of the Jordan River, they began a great and solemn ceremony to mourn Jacob’s death. Joseph took seven days to mourn his father’s death.

11 When the Canaanites living there saw the funeral ceremonies at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “These funeral ceremonies are taken very seriously by the Egyptians.” That’s why that place on the east side of the Jordan was named Abel Mizraim [Egyptian Funeral Ceremonies].
12 Jacob’s sons did for him what he had told them to do.

13 They carried him back to Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre. Abraham had bought this tomb from Ephron the Hittite.
14 After Joseph had buried his father, he went back to Egypt along with his brothers and everyone who had gone there with him to bury his father.

Joseph Forgives His Brothers

15 Joseph’s brothers realized what their father’s death could mean. So they thought, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us? What if he decides to pay us back for all the evil we did to him?”16 They sent a messenger to Joseph to say, “Before your father died, he commanded us,

17 ‘This is what you should say to Joseph, “I’m begging you to forgive the crime and the sin your brothers committed against you. What they did to you was very evil.” ’ So now, please forgive our crime, because we are servants of your father’s God.” Joseph cried when he got their message.
18 Then his brothers also came and immediately bowed down in front of him. “We are your slaves!” they said.19 Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I can’t take God’s place.20 Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it. This was to keep many people alive, as he is doing now.

21 Don’t be afraid! I will provide for you and your children.” In this way he reassured them, setting their minds at ease.
22 Joseph and his father’s family stayed in Egypt. Joseph lived to be 110 years old.

23 He saw his grandchildren, Ephraim’s children. Even the children of Machir, son of Manasseh, were adopted by Joseph at birth.
24 At last Joseph said to his brothers, “I’m about to die. God will definitely take care of you and take you out of this land to the land he swore with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

25 Joseph made Israel’s sons swear an oath. He said, “God will definitely take care of you. So be sure to carry my bones back with you.”
26 Joseph died when he was 110 years old. His body was embalmed and placed 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.