Genesis 50

The Death of Israel

1Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him. 2Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians 1embalmed Israel. 3Now forty days were 2required for 3it, for 4such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians 5wept for him seventy days.

4When the days of 6mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak 7to Pharaoh, saying, 5‘8My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave 9which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’” 6Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

7So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. 9There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company. 10When they came to the 10threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they 11lamented there with a very great and 12sorrowful lamentation; and he 13observed seven days mourning for his father. 11Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at 14the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a 15grievous 16mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named 17Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

Burial at Machpelah

12Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them; 13for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in 18the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a 19burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “20What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16So they 21sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18Then his brothers also came and 22fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20As for you, 23you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about 24this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21So therefore, do not be afraid; 25I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke 26kindly to them.

Death of Joseph

22Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were 27born on Joseph’s knees. 24Joseph said to his brothers, “28I am about to die, but God will surely 29take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He 30promised on oath to 31Abraham, to 32Isaac and to 33Jacob.” 25Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely 34take care of you, and 35you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and 36he was 37embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.