1Joseph threw himself on his father’s body. He wept over him and kissed him.2Then Joseph talked to the doctors who served him. He told them to prepare the body of his father Israel to be buried. So the doctors prepared it.3They took 40 days to do it. They needed that much time to prepare a body in the right way. The Egyptians mourned for Jacob 70 days.4After the days of sadness had passed, Joseph went to Pharaoh’s officials. He said to them, ‘If you are pleased with me, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him,5“My father made me give my word to him. He said, ‘I’m about to die. Bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ So let me go there and bury my father. Then I’ll come back.” ’6Pharaoh said, ‘Go there and bury your father. Do what he made you promise to do.’7So Joseph went to Canaan to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials went with him. They were the important people of his court and all the leaders of Egypt.8Joseph’s family also went. His brothers and all the rest of his father’s family went. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.9Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large group.10They came to Atad, a place where corn was processed. It was near the River Jordan. There they sobbed loudly and bitterly. Joseph set apart seven days of sadness to honour his father’s memory.11The Canaanites living in that area saw how sad all of them were. They said, ‘The Egyptians are having a very special service for the dead.’ That’s why that place near the River Jordan is called Abel of the Egyptians.12So Jacob’s sons did exactly as he had commanded them.13They carried his body to the land of Canaan. They buried it in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre. Abraham had bought the cave as a place where he could bury his wife’s body. He had bought the cave and the field from Ephron, the Hittite.14After Joseph buried his father, he went back to Egypt. His brothers and all the others who had gone to help him bury his father went back with him.
Joseph calms his brothers’ fears
15Now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers were worried. They said, ‘Remember all the bad things we did to Joseph? What if he decides to hold those things against us? What if he pays us back for them?’16So they sent a message to Joseph. They said, ‘Your father gave us directions before he died.17He said, “Here’s what you must say to Joseph. Tell him, ‘I’m asking you to forgive your brothers. Forgive the terrible things they did to you. Forgive them for treating you so badly.’ ” Now then, please forgive our sins. We serve the God of your father.’ When their message came to Joseph, he wept.18Then his brothers came and threw themselves down in front of him. ‘We are your slaves,’ they said.19But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Do you think I’m God?20You planned to harm me. But God planned it for good. He planned to do what is now being done. He wanted to save many lives.21So then, don’t be afraid. I’ll provide for you and your children.’ He calmed their fears. And he spoke in a kind way to them.
Joseph dies
22Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived 110 years.23He lived long enough to see Ephraim’s children and grandchildren. When the children of Makir were born, they were placed on Joseph’s knees and counted as his own children. Makir was the son of Manasseh.24Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I’m about to die. But God will surely come to help you. He’ll take you up out of this land. He’ll bring you to the land he promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’25Joseph made the Israelites promise him. He said, ‘God will surely come to help you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.’26So Joseph died at the age of 110. They prepared his body to be buried. Then he was placed in a casket in Egypt.
Genesis 50
English Standard Version
1Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. (Ge 46:4)2And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. (Ge 50:26; 2Ch 16:14; Mr 16:1; Lu 23:56; Joh 19:39)3Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. (Ge 50:10; Nu 20:29; De 34:8; 1Sa 31:13; Job 2:13)4And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, (Ge 33:15; Ge 47:29)5‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” (2Ch 16:14; Isa 22:16; Mt 27:60)6And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.”7So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,8as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. (Ge 45:10)9And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company.10When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. (Ge 50:3; 2Sa 1:17; Ac 8:2)11When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim;[1] it is beyond the Jordan.12Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them,13for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. (Ge 23:16; Ge 49:29; Ac 7:16)14After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
God’s Good Purposes
15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.”16So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died:17‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. (Ge 49:25)18His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” (Ge 37:7; Ge 37:10)19But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? (Ge 30:2; 2Ki 5:7)20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people[2] should be kept alive, as they are today. (Ge 45:5; Ge 45:7)21So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Ge 45:11; Ge 47:12)
The Death of Joseph
22So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years.23And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own.[3] (Ge 30:3; Nu 32:39; 1Ch 7:14; Job 42:16; Ps 128:6)24And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” (Ge 15:14; Ge 15:18; Ge 26:3; Ge 28:13; Ge 35:12; Ge 46:4; Ge 48:21; Ex 3:16; Heb 11:22)25Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” (Ex 13:19; Jos 24:32)26So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. (Ge 50:2)