Genesis — Chapter 50

Joseph flung himself upon his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.

Then Joseph ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel.

It required forty days, for such is the full period of embalming. The Egyptians bewailed him seventy days;

and when the wailing period was over, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s court, saying, “Do me this favor, and lay this appeal before Pharaoh:

‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die. Be sure to bury me in the grave that I made ready for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now, therefore, let me go up and bury my father; then I shall return.’”

And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you promise on oath.”

So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the officials of Pharaoh, the senior members of his court, and all of Egypt’s dignitaries,

together with all of Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household; only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the region of Goshen.

Chariots and charioteers as well went up with him; it was a very large troop.

When they came to GorenaGoren Or “the threshing floor of.” ha-Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they held there a very great and solemn lamentation; and he observed a mourning period of seven days for his father.

And when the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning at Goren ha-Atad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” That is why it was named Abel-mizraim,bAbel-mizraim Interpreted as “the mourning of the Egyptians.” which is beyond the Jordan.

Thus his sons did for him as he had instructed them.

His sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, the field near Mamre, which Abraham had bought for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrong that we did him!”

So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before his death your father left this instruction:

So shall you say to Joseph, ‘Forgive, I urge you, the offense and guilt of your brothers who treated you so harshly.’ Therefore, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.”cyour father I.e., Jacob and his household. And Joseph was in tears as they spoke to him.

His brothers went to him themselves, flung themselves before him, and said, “We are prepared to be your slaves.”

But Joseph said to them, “Have no fear! Am I a substitute for God?

Besides, although you intended me harm, God intended it for good, so as to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.

And so, fear not. I will sustain you and your dependents.” Thus he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

So Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.

Joseph lived to see children of the third generation of Ephraim; the children of Machir son of Manasseh were likewise born upon Joseph’s knees.

At length, Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. God will surely take notice of you and bring you up from this land to the land promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

So Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “When God has taken notice of you, you shall carry up my bones from here.”

Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.