Genesis 50
50
Genesis 50
1¶ Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face and wept upon him and kissed him.
2And Joseph commanded his slaves, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.
3And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
4And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke unto those of the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
5My father made me swear, saying, Behold, I die; in my grave which I have dug for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee and bury my father, and I will come again.
6And Pharaoh said, Go up and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.
7¶ Then Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the slaves of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
8and all the house of Joseph and his brethren and his father’s house; only their little ones and their sheep and their cows, they left in the land of Goshen.
9And both chariots and horsemen went up with him, and it was a very great company.
10And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation; and Joseph made a mourning for his father seven days.
11And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a great mourning of the Egyptians; therefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
12And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them;
13for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace from Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
14And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
15¶ And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
16And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
17So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren and their sin, for they did unto thee evil; and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the slaves of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spoke unto him.
18And his brethren also went and fell down before his face, and they said, Behold, we are thy slaves.
19And Joseph said unto them, Fear not; for am I in the place of God?
20But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God thought it out unto good, to bring to pass that which we see this day, to give life to many people.
21Now therefore fear ye not; I will nourish you and your little ones. Thus he comforted them and spoke to their heart.
22¶ And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.
23And Joseph saw Ephraim’s sons unto the third generation; the sons also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were brought up upon Joseph’s knees.
24And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; but God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land unto the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
25And Joseph took an oath of the sons of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from here.
26So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in an ark in Egypt.
The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International
B'resheet (Gen) 50
50
1Yosef fell on his father’s face, wept over him and kissed him. 2Then Yosef ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Isra’el. 3Forty days were spent at this, the normal amount of time for embalming. Then the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
4When the period of mourning was over, Yosef addressed to the household of Pharaoh: “I would like to ask a favor. Tell Pharaoh, 5‘My father had me swear an oath. He said, “I am going to die. You are to bury me in my grave, which I dug for myself in the land of Kena‘an.” Therefore, I beg you, let me go up and bury my father; I will return.’” 6Pharaoh responded, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
7So Yosef went up to bury his father. With him went all Pharaoh’s servants, the leaders of his household and the leaders of the land of Egypt, 8along with the entire household of Yosef, his brothers and his father’s household; only their little ones, their flocks and their cattle did they leave in the land of Goshen. 9Moreover, there went up with him both chariots and horsemen — it was a very large caravan.
10When they arrived at the threshing-floor in Atad, beyond the Yarden, they raised a loud and bitter lamentation, mourning for his father seven days. 11When the local inhabitants, the Kena‘ani, saw the mourning on the floor of Atad they said, “How bitterly the Egyptians are mourning!” This is why the place was given the name Avel-Mitzrayim [mourning of Egypt], there beyond the Yarden.
12His sons did to him as he had ordered them to do — 13they carried him into the land of Kena‘an and buried him in the cave in the field of Makhpelah, which Avraham had bought, along with the field, as a burial-place belonging to him, from ‘Efron the Hitti, by Mamre.
14Then, after burying his father, Yosef returned to Egypt, he, his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
15Realizing that their father was dead, Yosef’s brothers said, “Yosef may hate us now and pay us back in full for all the suffering we caused him.” 16So they sent a message to Yosef which said, “Your father gave this order before he died: 17‘Say to Yosef, “I beg you now, please forgive your brothers’ crime and wickedness in doing you harm.”’ So now, we beg of you, forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Yosef wept when they spoke to him; 18and his brothers too came, prostrated themselves before him and said, “Here, we are your slaves.” 19But Yosef said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good — so that it would come about as it is today, with many people’s lives being saved. (vii) 21So don’t be afraid — I will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he comforted them, speaking kindly to them.
22Yosef continued living in Egypt, he and his father’s household. Yosef lived 110 years. (Maftir) 23Yosef lived to see Efrayim’s great-grandchildren, and the children of M’nasheh’s son Makhir were born on Yosef’s knees.
24Yosef said to his brothers, “I am dying. But God will surely remember you and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov.” 25Then Yosef took an oath from the sons of Isra’el: “God will surely remember you, and you are to carry my bones up from here.” 26So Yosef died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him and put him in a coffin in Egypt.
Haftarah Vayechi: M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 2:1–12
B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Vayechi: Acts 7:9–16 (specifically vv. 15–16); Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:21–22; 1 Kefa (1 Peter) 1:3–9; 2:11–17
Hazak, hazak, v’nit’chazek!
Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened!
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