Genesis 50
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 50
1 Joseph threw himself on the face of his father. He wept upon him and kissed him. 2 Then Joseph ordered his doctors to embalm Israel. 3 This took forty days, the time it takes to embalm. The Egyptians mourned for him for seventy days.
4 When the days of mourning were over, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh. He said, “If I have found favor in your sight, I wish to speak these words into the ears of Pharaoh: 5 My father made me take an oath: ‘Behold, I am about to die. Bury me in the tomb I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.’ May I go to bury my father and return?”
6 Pharaoh answered, “Go and bury your father as you have vowed to do.”
7 Joseph went to bury his father, and all the ministers of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as the household of Joseph and his brothers and the household of his father went with him. Only the children, flocks, and herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 Even the war chariots and the charioteers formed an imposing caravan.
10 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, which is on the other side of the Jordan, they performed a great and solemn ritual mourning, and Joseph did seven days of mourning for his father. 11 The Canaanites living in that land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad and said, “It is a solemn funeral for the Egyptians.” Because of this they called the place Abel-mizraim, and it is on the other side of the Jordan.
12 Jacob’s sons did what he had commanded them to do for him. 13 They brought him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, the field that Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite to be his burial place and that faces Mamre. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt together with his brothers and those who had gone with him to bury his father.
15 Joseph’s Mission and His Death.[a] Now the brothers of Joseph began to be afraid because their father was dead, and they said, “Who knows if Joseph will not treat us like enemies and pay us back for the evil things we have done to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father, before he died, gave this command: 17 ‘Say to Joseph: Forgive the offense of your brothers and their sin for the evil that they have done against you. Forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.’ ” Joseph cried while they were speaking to him.
18 His brothers went up and bowed to the ground before him and said, “Behold your slaves.”
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear. Am I God? 20 You intended to do evil to me, but God decided to make it serve a good, to fulfill that which today has come true: to keep alive a numerous people. 21 Therefore, do not fear. I will provide food for you and your children.” In this way, he consoled them and encouraged them.
22 Joseph and the family of his father lived in Egypt. He lived for one hundred and ten years. 23 Thus, Joseph saw the sons of Ephraim up to the third generation and also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, who was born upon the knees of Joseph.
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will come to visit you and will bring you out of this land to the land that he promised with an oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25 Joseph had the sons of Israel swear an oath saying, “God will surely come to visit you, and then you are to carry my bones away with you.”
26 Joseph died when he was one hundred and ten years old. He was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.[b]
Footnotes
- Genesis 50:15 Secretly, Providence has woven the tissue of this history of Joseph. It was necessary that in the adventure readied for the sons of Jacob all Israel should go to Egypt. It is urgent for the Lord to intervene and make the children of Israel his people and to lead them into the Promised Land.
- Genesis 50:26 Thus ends the story of the origins of the Patriarchs. The points of departure for the Book of Exodus are laid. The first elements of the People of God are now in Egypt, whence they must one day return to the land promised to Abraham, the land of the Patriarchs, that of the tomb of ancestors, so that it may become the land of the People of God.
Genesis 50
English Standard Version
50 Then Joseph (A)fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to (B)embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians (C)wept for him seventy days.
4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, (D)“If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb (E)that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left (F)in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, (G)they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he (H)made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim;[a] it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for (I)his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham (J)bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
God's Good Purposes
15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of (K)the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and (L)fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for (M)am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but (N)God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people[b] should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; (O)I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
The Death of Joseph
22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children (P)of the third generation. The (Q)children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were (R)counted as Joseph's own.[c] 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but (S)God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land (T)that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then (U)Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They (V)embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes
- Genesis 50:11 Abel-mizraim means mourning (or meadow) of Egypt
- Genesis 50:20 Or a numerous people
- Genesis 50:23 Hebrew were born on Joseph's knees
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
