Genesi 50
Nuova Riveduta 1994
50 (A)Allora *Giuseppe si gettò sulla faccia di suo padre, pianse su di lui e lo baciò. 2 Poi Giuseppe ordinò ai medici che erano al suo servizio di imbalsamare suo padre; e i medici imbalsamarono *Israele. 3 Ci vollero quaranta giorni; perché tanto è il tempo che si impiega a imbalsamare. E gli Egiziani lo piansero settanta giorni.
4 Quando i giorni del lutto fatto per lui furono passati, Giuseppe parlò alla casa del *faraone, dicendo: «Se ora ho trovato grazia ai vostri occhi, fate giungere agli orecchi del faraone queste parole: 5 “Mio padre mi ha fatto giurare e mi ha detto: «Ecco, io muoio; seppelliscimi nel mio sepolcro, che mi sono scavato nel paese di *Canaan». Ora dunque, permetti che io salga e seppellisca mio padre; poi tornerò”». 6 Il faraone rispose: «Sali e seppellisci tuo padre come ti ha fatto giurare».
7 Allora Giuseppe salí a seppellire suo padre e con lui salirono tutti i servitori del faraone, gli anziani della sua casa e tutti gli *anziani del paese d'Egitto, 8 tutta la casa di Giuseppe e i suoi fratelli e la casa di suo padre. Non lasciarono nella terra di Goscen che i loro bambini, le loro greggi e i loro armenti. 9 Con lui salirono pure carri e cavalieri, cosí da formare un corteo numerosissimo. 10 Quando giunsero all'aia di Atad, che è oltre il *Giordano, vi furono grandi e profondi lamenti. Giuseppe fece a suo padre un lutto di sette giorni. 11 Quando gli abitanti del paese, i Cananei, videro il lutto dell'aia di Atad, dissero: «Questo è un grave lutto per gli Egiziani!» Perciò fu messo il nome di Abel-Misraim[a] a quell'aia, che è oltre il Giordano. 12 I figli di *Giacobbe fecero per lui quello che egli aveva ordinato loro: 13 lo trasportarono nel paese di Canaan e lo seppellirono nella grotta del campo di Macpela, che *Abraamo aveva comprato, con il campo, da Efron l'Ittita, come sepolcro di sua proprietà, di fronte a Mamre. 14 Giuseppe, dopo aver sepolto suo padre, tornò in Egitto con i suoi fratelli e con tutti quelli che erano saliti con lui a seppellire suo padre.
15 (B)I fratelli di Giuseppe, quando videro che il loro padre era morto, dissero: «Chi sa se Giuseppe non ci porterà odio e non ci renderà tutto il male che gli abbiamo fatto?» 16 Perciò mandarono a dire a Giuseppe: «Tuo padre, prima di morire, diede quest'ordine: 17 “Dite cosí a Giuseppe: Perdona ora ai tuoi fratelli il loro misfatto e il loro peccato; perché ti hanno fatto del male”. Ti prego, perdona dunque ora il misfatto dei servi del Dio di tuo padre!» Giuseppe, quando gli parlarono cosí, pianse. 18 I suoi fratelli vennero anch'essi, si inchinarono[b] ai suoi piedi e dissero: «Ecco, siamo tuoi servi». 19 Giuseppe disse loro: «Non temete. Sono io forse al posto di Dio? 20 Voi avevate pensato del male contro di me, ma Dio ha pensato di convertirlo in bene per compiere quello che oggi avviene: per conservare in vita un popolo numeroso. 21 Ora dunque non temete. Io provvederò al sostentamento per voi e i vostri figli». Cosí li confortò e parlò al loro cuore.
Vecchiaia e morte di Giuseppe
22 (C)Giuseppe abitò in Egitto con la casa di suo padre; egli visse centodieci anni. 23 Giuseppe vide i figli di *Efraim, fino alla terza generazione; anche i figli di Machir, figlio di *Manasse, nacquero sulle sue ginocchia. 24 Giuseppe disse ai suoi fratelli: «Io sto per morire, ma Dio per certo vi visiterà e vi farà salire, da questo paese, nel paese che promise con giuramento ad Abraamo, a *Isacco e a Giacobbe». 25 Giuseppe fece giurare i figli d'Israele, dicendo: «Dio per certo vi visiterà; allora portate via da qui le mie ossa». 26 Poi Giuseppe morí, all'età di centodieci anni; e fu imbalsamato e deposto in un sarcofago in Egitto.
Footnotes
- Genesi 50:11 Abel-Misraim, lett. lutto degli Egiziani.
- Genesi 50:18 Si inchinarono, lett. caddero sulla loro faccia.
Genesis 50
New American Standard Bible
Jacob Is Buried
50 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians (A)embalmed Israel. 3 Now forty days were [a]required for [b]it, for [c]such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians (B)wept for him seventy days.
4 When the days of [d]mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak [e]to Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘(C)My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave (D)which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now then, please 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.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. 9 Chariots with teams of horses also went up with him; and it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the [f]threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they (E)mourned there with a very great and [g]sorrowful lamentation; and he [h]observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at [i]the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a [j]grievous [k]mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named [l]Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
Burial at Machpelah
12 And so his sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in (F)the cave of the field of Machpelah opposite Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a [m]burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers had seen that their father was dead, they said, “(G)What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they sent instructions to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded us before he died, saying, 17 ‘This is what you shall say to Joseph: “Please forgive, I beg you, the offense of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and (H)fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, (I)you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about [n]this present result, to keep many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; (J)I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke [o]kindly to them.
Death of Joseph
22 Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived 110 years. 23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were (K)born on Joseph’s knees. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “(L)I am about to die, but God will assuredly [p]take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He [q]promised on oath to (M)Abraham, to (N)Isaac, and to (O)Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will assuredly [r]take care of you, and (P)you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of 110 years; and they (Q)embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes
- Genesis 50:3 Lit fulfilled
- Genesis 50:3 Or him
- Genesis 50:3 Lit so are fulfilled the days of embalming
- Genesis 50:4 Lit weeping
- Genesis 50:4 Lit In the ears of
- Genesis 50:10 Heb Goren ha-Atad
- Genesis 50:10 Lit heavy
- Genesis 50:10 Lit made a mourning for seven days
- Genesis 50:11 Heb Goren ha-Atad
- Genesis 50:11 Lit heavy
- Genesis 50:11 Heb ebel
- Genesis 50:11 I.e., the meadow (or mourning) of Egypt
- Genesis 50:13 Lit possession of a burial place
- Genesis 50:20 Lit as this day
- Genesis 50:21 Lit to their heart
- Genesis 50:24 Or visit
- Genesis 50:24 Lit swore
- Genesis 50:25 Or visit
Genesis 50
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 50
Jacob’s Funeral. 1 Joseph flung himself upon his father and wept over him as he kissed him. 2 Then Joseph ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father. When the physicians embalmed Israel, 3 they spent forty days at it, for that is the full period of embalming; and the Egyptians mourned him for seventy days. 4 When the period of mourning was over, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s household. “If you please, appeal to Pharaoh, saying: 5 My father made me swear: ‘I am dying. Bury me in my grave that I have prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.’ So now let me go up to bury my father. Then I will come back.”(A) 6 Pharaoh replied, “Go and bury your father, as he made you promise on oath.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went all of Pharaoh’s officials who were senior members of his household and all the other elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as Joseph’s whole household, his brothers, and his father’s household; only their children and their flocks and herds were left in the region of Goshen. 9 Chariots, too, and horsemen went up with him; it was a very imposing retinue.
10 When they arrived at Goren-ha-atad,[a] which is beyond the Jordan, they held there a very great and solemn memorial service; and Joseph observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 When the Canaanites who inhabited the land saw the mourning at Goren-ha-atad, they said, “This is a solemn funeral on the part of the Egyptians!” That is why the place was named Abel-mizraim. It is beyond the Jordan.
12 Thus Jacob’s sons did for him as he had instructed them. 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought for a burial ground from Ephron the Hittite.(B)
14 After Joseph had buried his father he returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all who had gone up with him for the burial of his father.
Plea for Forgiveness. 15 [b]Now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful and thought, “Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us and now most certainly will pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!” 16 So they sent to Joseph and said: “Before your father died, he gave us these instructions: 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: Please forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers, who treated you harmfully.’ So now please forgive the crime that we, the servants of the God of your father, committed.” When they said this to him, Joseph broke into tears. 18 Then his brothers also proceeded to fling themselves down before him and said, “We are your slaves!” 19 But Joseph replied to them: “Do not fear. Can I take the place of God? 20 Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve this present end, the survival of many people.(C) 21 So now, do not fear. I will provide for you and for your children.” By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.(D)
22 Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father’s household. He lived a hundred and ten years. 23 He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation, and the children of Manasseh’s son Machir were also born on Joseph’s knees.(E)
Death of Joseph. 24 Joseph said to his brothers: “I am about to die. God will surely take care of you and lead you up from this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”(F) 25 Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued, “When God thus takes care of you, you must bring my bones up from this place.”(G) 26 Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. He was embalmed and laid to rest in a coffin in Egypt.(H)
Footnotes
- 50:10–11 Goren-ha-atad: “Threshing Floor of the Brambles.” Abel-mizraim: although the name really means “watercourse of the Egyptians,” it is understood here, by a play on the first part of the term, to mean “mourning of the Egyptians.” The site has not been identified through either reading of the name. But it is difficult to see why the mourning rites should have been held in the land beyond the Jordan when the burial was at Hebron. Perhaps an earlier form of the story placed the mourning rites beyond the Wadi of Egypt, the traditional boundary between Canaan and Egypt (Nm 34:5; Jos 15:4, 47).
- 50:15–26 The final reconciliation of the brothers. Fearful of what may happen after the death of their father, the brothers engage in a final deception, inventing the dying wish of Jacob. Again, Joseph weeps, and, again, his brothers fall down before him, offering to be his slaves (44:16, 33). Joseph’s assurance is also a summation of the story: “Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve this present end, the survival of many people” (v. 20). Joseph’s adoption of the children of Manasseh’s son Machir recalls Jacob’s adoption of his grandchildren (48:5, 13–20); the adoptions reflect tribal history (cf. Jgs 5:14).
Copyright © 1994 by Geneva Bible Society
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