< Genesis 50 >

1 Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.
And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father’s face weeping and kissing him.
2 And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,
And he commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father.
3 taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
And while they were fulfilling his commands, there passed forty days: for this was the manner with bodies that were embalmed, and Egypt mourned for him seventy days.
4 When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that
And the time of the mourning being expired, Joseph spoke to the family of Pharao: If I have found favour in your sight, speak in the ears of Pharao:
5 my father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father, and then return.”
For my father made me swear to him, saying: Behold I die: thou shalt bury me in my sepulchre which I have digged for myself in the land of Chanaan. So I will go up and bury my father, and return.
6 Pharaoh replied, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
And Pharao said to him: Go up and bury thy father according as he made thee swear.
7 Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied him—the elders of Pharaoh’s household and all the elders of the land of Egypt—
So he went up, and there went with him all the ancients of Pharao’s house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
8 along with all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen.
And the house of Joseph with his brethren, except their children, and their flocks and herds, which they left in the land of Gessen.
9 Chariots and horsemen alike went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large procession.
He had also in his train chariots and horsemen: and it was a great company.
10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.
And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is situated beyond the Jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days.
11 When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians.” Thus the place across the Jordan is called Abel-mizraim.
And when the inhabitants of Chanaan saw this, they said: This is a great mourning to the Egyptians. And therefore the name of that place was called, The mourning of Egypt.
12 So Jacob’s sons did as he had charged them.
So the sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them.
13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.
And carrying him into the land of Chanaan, they buried him in the double cave which Abraham had bought together with the field for a possession of a buryingplace, of Ephron the Hethite over against Mambre.
14 After Joseph had buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.
And Joseph returned into Egypt with his brethren, and all that were in his company, after he had buried his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.”
Now he being dead, his brethren were afraid, and talked one with another: Lest perhaps he should remember the wrong he suffered, and requite us all the evil that we did to him.
16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,
And they sent a message to him, saying: Thy father commanded us before he died,
17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
That we should say thus much to thee from him: I beseech thee to forget the wickedness of thy brethren, and the sin and malice they practiced against thee: we also pray thee, to forgive the servants of the God of thy father this wickedness. And when Joseph heard this, he wept.
18 His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”
And his brethren came to him: and worshipping prostrate on the ground they said: We are thy servants.
19 But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
And he answered them: Fear not: can we resist the will of God?
20 As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.
You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people.
21 Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.
Fear not: I will feed you and your children. And he comforted them, and spoke gently and mildly.
22 Now Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110.
And he dwelt in Egypt with all his father’s house: and lived a hundred and ten years.
23 He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.
And he saw the children of Ephraim to the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasses were born on Joseph’s knees.
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
After which he told his brethren: God will visit you after my death, and will make you go up out of this land, to the land which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”
And he made them swear to him, saying: God will visit you, carry my bones with you out of this place:
26 So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt.
And he died being a hundred and ten years old. And being embalmed he was laid in a coffin in Egypt.

< Genesis 50 >