Genesis 50

Then Joseph hugged his father {in sorrow}, and he cried over him and kissed him {goodbye} {on the cheek}.

Then he ordered his doctors who served him to prepare his father{’s body} for burial. So they did that.

The process took forty days, which is how long it {normally} takes to prepare a body. The people in Egypt mourned for Israel {for} seventy days. \*

After that time of mourning Israel’s death, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s officials, “Please do this favor for me: please take a message to {King} Pharaoh {for me} and tell {him}

that when my father was about to die, he had me vow to him that I would bury his body in the region of Canaan, in a tomb that he had prepared for himself there. So {ask the king to} please let me go {to Canaan} and bury my father{’s body} {there}. After that, I will come back {here}.”

{When Pharaoh heard Joseph’s message,} he replied, “{Tell Joseph that} he may go {to Canaan} and bury his father{’s body} just as his father made him vow {that he would do}.” \*

So Joseph started the trip {to Canaan} to bury his father{’s body}, and all Pharaoh’s officials escorted him, {including} the important leaders from Pharaoh’s court and all the {other} important leaders in the country of Egypt.

All of Joseph’s family also {went with him,} including his brothers and {the rest of} his father’s family. They only left {behind} their children and their livestock in Goshen Province.

{Many} soldiers also escorted Joseph, {including} those {who were} riding chariots and those {who were} riding horses, so that the {entire} group was very large. \*

They traveled to the other side of the Jordan {River} and stopped at a {grain} threshing place owned by {a man named} Atad. There Joseph {and the others} mourned for his father very loudly and sorrowfully for seven days.

When the Canaanites who lived in the area saw them mourning {like that} at Atad’s threshing place, they exclaimed {to each other}, “{Wow!} Those people from Egypt are mourning {very} sorrowfully {for someone who died}!” That is why the name of that place on the other side of the Jordan {River} is Abel Mizraim, {which means “Egyptians’ mourning place.”} \*

Jacob’s sons did {everything} for him just as he had instructed them {to do}:

They took his body to the region of Canaan and buried it in the cave {that is} in the field in the Machpelah {area}, near {the city of} Mamre. {It was} the field {and cave} that Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite as a place to bury his dead {relatives}.

After Joseph buried his father{’s body}, he returned to {the country of} Egypt, along with his brothers and everyone {else} who had accompanied him to his father’s funeral. \*

Now that their father was no longer alive, Joseph’s brothers {were worried and} said {to each other}, “If Joseph is angry at us for the terrible way that we treated him, he might punish us severely for what we did.”

So they sent {a messenger} to Joseph to tell {him}, “Before our father died, he told {us}

to ask you to please forgive {us}, your brothers, for sinning {against you} and treating you so badly. So then, as servants of God whom our father worshiped, we beg you to forgive us for sinning {against you}.” When Joseph heard his brothers’ message to him, he {was very sad and} cried. \*

Then his brothers came {to him}, prostrated themselves before him {to show respect}, and said {to him}, “Here we are, we {will be} your servants!”

But Joseph replied to them, “You do not need to be afraid. After all, I am not God! {So I have no right to punish you.}

{It is true that} you planned to harm me, {but} God is using that to benefit {us all}. Right now he is doing what he planned, to keep many people from dying.

So then, you do not need to be afraid. I {myself} will provide {everything} that you and your children need.” In that way, Joseph assured them {that he had forgiven them}, and he {also} said {other} things to encourage them. \*

Joseph continued to live in {the country of} Egypt, along with {the rest of} his father {Jacob}’s family, until he was 110 years old.

He lived {long enough} to see {his son} Ephraim’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The children of {his grandson} Machir, {who was} Manasseh’s son, also grew up during his lifetime. \*

Then {one day} Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will definitely help you and take you {and your descendants} from this country to the land that he vowed {to give} to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

When God does that, you must take my body back {to Canaan} {with you} {and bury it there}.” Then Joseph had {his brothers and} {the rest of} the descendants of Israel vow {that they would do that}.

So Joseph died at the age of 110 years. Then his doctors prepared his body for burial, and they put it in a burial box in {the country of} Egypt.