Top of Page
Page Style
threw himself on his father’s face, and he wept over him and kissed him. 2 Then Joseph commanded the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, 3 taking forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
4 When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favour in your eyes, please speak to Pharaoh and tell him, 5 ‘My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return’.”
6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt— 8 along with all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 Both chariots and horsemen went up with him, and it was a very large procession.
10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly, and Joseph mourned for his father there for seven days. 11 When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land witnessed the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim. It is across the Jordan.
12 So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had instructed them. 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After Joseph had buried his father, he returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, perhaps he will repay us for all the wrongs we did to him.” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he gave these instructions: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive your brothers for the transgression and sins they committed against you and the suffering they caused you” ’. Now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When the message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 Then his brothers also came and threw themselves down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You planned evil against me, but God intended it for good to accomplish this present result, the survival of many people. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I myself will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
22 Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt. Joseph lived a hundred and ten years, 23 and he saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation. Also, the children of Machir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die; but God will certainly come to you aid, and bring you up out of this land to the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “When God comes to your aid, you must then carry my bones up from here.”
26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. Then they embalmed him, and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.