Genesis 50

Joseph Buries His Father

1Joseph threw himself on his father, cried over him, and kissed him. 2Then Joseph ordered the doctors in his service to embalm his father. So the doctors embalmed Israel. 3The embalming was completed in the usual time—40 days. The Egyptians mourned for him 70 days.

4When 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.’ ”

6Pharaoh replied, “Go and bury your father, as you have promised him.”

7So 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. 8Joseph’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.) 9Chariots and horsemen went with him. It was a very large group.

10When they came to the threshing floor #50:10 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks. 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. 11When 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].

12Jacob’s sons did for him what he had told them to do. 13They 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.

14After 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

15Joseph’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?” 16They 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.

18Then his brothers also came and immediately bowed down in front of him. “We are your slaves!” they said.

19Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I can’t take God’s place. 20Even 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. 21Don’t be afraid! I will provide for you and your children.” In this way he reassured them, setting their minds at ease.

22Joseph and his father’s family stayed in Egypt. Joseph lived to be 110 years old. 23He saw his grandchildren, Ephraim’s children. Even the children of Machir, son of Manasseh, were adopted by Joseph at birth.

24At 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.” 25Joseph 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.”

26Joseph died when he was 110 years old. His body was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

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Berĕshith (Genesis) 50

1And Yosĕph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him, and kissed him.

2And Yosĕph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Yisra’ĕl.

3And forty days were completed for him, for so are completed the days of embalming. And the Mitsrites wept for him seventy days.

4And when the days of weeping for him were past, Yosĕph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If, now, I have found favour in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying,

5My father made me swear, saying, “See, I am dying, bury me in my burial-site which I dug for myself in the land of Kena‛an.” And now, please let me go up and bury my father, and return.’ ”

6And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

7And Yosĕph went up to bury his father. And with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Mitsrayim,

8and all the house of Yosĕph, and his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen.

9And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great company.

10And they came to the threshing-floor of Ataḏ, which is beyond the Yardĕn, and they lamented there with a great and very heavy lamentation. And he performed seven days of mourning for his father.

11And when the inhabitants of the land, the Kena‛anites, saw the mourning at the threshing-floor of Ataḏ, they said, “This is a grievous mourning for the Mitsrites.” That is why its name was called Aḇĕl Mitsrayim, which is beyond the Yardĕn.

12And his sons did to him as he had commanded them,

13for his sons brought him to the land of Kena‛an, and buried him in the cave of the field of Maḵpĕlah, before Mamrĕ, which Aḇraham bought with the field from Ephron the Ḥittite as property for a burial-site.

14And after he had buried his father, Yosĕph returned to Mitsrayim, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.

15And when Yosĕph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Yosĕph hates us, and pays us back all the evil which we did to him?”

16And they sent word to Yosĕph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying,

17This is what you are to say to Yosĕph, “I beg you, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the Elohim of your father.” And Yosĕph wept when they spoke to him.

18And his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “See, we are your servants.”

19And Yosĕph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of Elohim?

20“And you, you intended evil against me, but Elohim intended it for good, in order to do it as it is this day, to keep a great many people alive.

21“And now, do not fear, I provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

22And Yosĕph dwelt in Mitsrayim, he and his father’s household. And Yosĕph lived one hundred and ten years.

23And Yosĕph saw Ephrayim’s children to the third generation. The children of Maḵir, son of Menashsheh, were also born on Yosĕph’s knees.

24And Yosĕph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but Elohim shall certainly visit you and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Ya‛aqoḇ.”

25And Yosĕph made the children of Yisra’ĕl swear, saying, “Elohim shall certainly visit you, and you shall bring up my bones from here.”

26And Yosĕph died, being one hundred and ten years old. And they embalmed him, and he was placed in a coffin in Mitsrayim.

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