Chapter 50

Chapter 50

1 Joseph threw himself upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.

2 Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; so the physicians embalmed Israel.

3 They took 40 days to complete it, for that is the time required for embalming; and Egypt wept for him 70 days.

4 When the days of mourning for him had passed, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s household, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak to Pharaoh, saying:

5 ‘My father made me swear an oath, saying, “Look! I am about to die. In my burial place, which I dug out for myself in the land of Canaan, there you must bury me.” So now, please let me go up so that I may bury my father, and then I will return.’”

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

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. Along with him went up all of Pharaoh’s servants—the elders of his palace and all the elders of the land of Egypt—

8 as well as Joseph’s entire household, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their small children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the region of Goshen.

9 Both chariots and horsemen went up with him; it was a massive camp.

10 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they wailed there with a great and intense mourning; and Joseph observed a seven-day mourning period for his father.

11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is an intense wailing for the Egyptians.” Therefore, the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan.

12 Thus Jacob's sons did for him exactly as he had commanded them:

13 his sons carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, the field that Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial property.

14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and everyone who had gone up with him to bury his father.

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and actually pays us back for all the harm we did to him?”

16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died, saying:

17 ‘This is what you must say to Joseph: “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did you harm.”’ So now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the All-Powerful One of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18 His brothers also came and threw themselves down before him, saying, “Look! We are your servants.”

19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid. For am I in the place of the All-Powerful One?

20 As for you, you planned harm against me, but the All-Powerful One planned it for good, to accomplish what is happening this very day—to keep a vast number of people alive.

21 So now, do not be afraid; I will provide food for you and your dependents.” Thus he comforted them and spoke to their hearts.

22 Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household; and Joseph lived 110 years.

23 Joseph saw the three generations of Ephraim’s children; the children also of Machir, son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.

24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but the All-Powerful One will surely visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, saying, “The All-Powerful One will surely visit you, and you must carry my bones up from here.”

26 So Joseph died at the age of 110 years; they embalmed him, and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.