The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 50 -

And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father’s face weeping and kissing him.

And he commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father.

And while they were fulfilling his commands, there passed forty days: for this was the manner with bodies that were embalmed, and Egypt mourned for him seventy days.

And the time of the mourning being expired, Joseph spoke to the family of Pharao: If I have found favour in your sight, speak in the ears of Pharao:

For my father made me swear to him, saying: Behold I die: thou shalt bury me in my sepulchre which I have digged for myself in the land of Chanaan. So I will go up and bury my father, and return.

And Pharao said to him: Go up and bury thy father according as he made thee swear.

So he went up, and there went with him all the ancients of Pharao’s house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

And the house of Joseph with his brethren, except their children, and their flocks and herds, which they left in the land of Gessen.

He had also in his train chariots and horsemen: and it was a great company.

And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is situated beyond the Jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days.

And when the inhabitants of Chanaan saw this, they said: This is a great mourning to the Egyptians. And therefore the name of that place was called, The mourning of Egypt.

So the sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them.

And carrying him into the land of Chanaan, they buried him in the double cave which Abraham had bought together with the field for a possession of a buryingplace, of Ephron the Hethite over against Mambre.

And Joseph returned into Egypt with his brethren, and all that were in his company, after he had buried his father.

Joseph Comforts His Brothers

Now he being dead, his brethren were afraid, and talked one with another: Lest perhaps he should remember the wrong he suffered, and requite us all the evil that we did to him.

And they sent a message to him, saying: Thy father commanded us before he died,

That we should say thus much to thee from him: I beseech thee to forget the wickedness of thy brethren, and the sin and malice they practiced against thee: we also pray thee, to forgive the servants of the God of thy father this wickedness. And when Joseph heard this, he wept.

And his brethren came to him: and worshipping prostrate on the ground they said: We are thy servants.

And he answered them: Fear not: can we resist the will of God?

You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people.

Fear not: I will feed you and your children. And he comforted them, and spoke gently and mildly.

The Death of Joseph

And he dwelt in Egypt with all his father’s house: and lived a hundred and ten years. And he saw the children of Ephraim to the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasses were born on Joseph’s knees.

After which he told his brethren: God will visit you after my death, and will make you go up out of this land, to the land which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And he made them swear to him, saying: God will visit you, carry my bones with you out of this place:

And he died being a hundred and ten years old. And being embalmed he was laid in a coffin in Egypt.

Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept on him, and kissed him.

Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.

Forty days were used for him, for that is how many days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for Israel for seventy days.

When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s staff, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.’”

Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear.”

Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt,

all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.

Both chariots and horsemen went up with him. It was a very great company.

They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.

When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

His sons did to him just as he commanded them,

for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, as a possession for a burial site, from Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre.

Joseph returned into Egypt—he, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

Joseph Comforts His Brothers

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.”

They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,

‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”

Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God?

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.

Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.

The Death of Joseph

Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years.

Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

So Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.