Jacob’s Burial

50 Then Joseph, leaning over his father’s face, wept and kissed him. ² He commanded his servants who were physicians to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. ³ They took 40 days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him 70 days.^(A)

⁴ When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell^[a] Pharaoh that ⁵ my father made me take an oath,^(B) saying, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me there in the tomb that I made for myself in the land of Canaan.’^(C) Now let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.”

⁶ So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father in keeping with your oath.”

⁷ Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went with him, ⁸ along with all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their sheep, and their cattle were left in the land of Goshen. ⁹ Horses and chariots went up with him; it was a very impressive procession. ¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wept loudly, and Joseph mourned seven days for his father. ¹¹ When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” Therefore the place is named Abel-mizraim.^[b] It is across the Jordan.

¹² So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. ¹³ They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.^{(D) 14} After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

Joseph’s Kindness

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him.”^(E)

¹⁶ So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before he died your father gave a command: ¹⁷ ‘Say this to Joseph: Please forgive your brothers’ transgression and their sin—the suffering they caused you.’ Therefore, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept^(F) when their message came to him. ¹⁸ Then his brothers also came to him, bowed 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?^{(G) 20} You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.^{(H) 21} Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your little ones.”^(I) And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.^[c]

Joseph’s Death

²² Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt. Joseph lived 110 years. ²³ He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation;^(J) the sons of Manasseh’s son Machir were recognized by^[d][e] Joseph.^(K)

²⁴ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die,^(L) but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land He promised Abraham,^(M) Isaac,^(N) and Jacob.”^{(O) 25} So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.”^(P)

²⁶ Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.