Genesis 50

Jacob Is Buried

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 then, 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. 9Chariots with teams of horses also went up with him; and it was a very great company. 10When they came to the 10threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they 11mourned there with a very great and 12sorrowful lamentation; and he 13observed seven days of 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

12And so his sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in 18the cave of the field of Machpelah opposite Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a 19burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14And after 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 had seen that their father was dead, they said, “20What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16So they sent instructions to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded us before he died, saying, 17‘This is what you shall say to Joseph: “Please forgive, I beg you, the offense of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18Then his brothers also came and 21fell 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, 22you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about 23this present result, to keep many people alive. 21So therefore, do not be afraid; 24I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke 25kindly to them.

Death of Joseph

22Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived 110 years. 23Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were 26born on Joseph’s knees. 24Joseph said to his brothers, “27I am about to die, but God will assuredly 28take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He 29promised on oath to 30Abraham, to 31Isaac, and to 32Jacob.” 25Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will assuredly 33take care of you, and 34you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26So Joseph died at the age of 110 years; and they 35embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.