The Death of Jacob

²⁹ Then he gave them these instructions:^(A) “I am about to be gathered to my people.^(B) Bury me with my fathers^(C) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,^{(D) 30} the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(E) near Mamre^(F) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field^(G) as a burial place^(H) from Ephron the Hittite. ³¹ There Abraham^(I) and his wife Sarah^(J) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah^(K) were buried, and there I buried Leah.^{(L) 32} The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.^[a](M)”

³³ When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.^(N)

50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.^{(O) 2} Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,^{(P) 3} taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.^(Q)

⁴ When the days of mourning^(R) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,^(S) “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(T) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ⁵ ‘My father made me swear an oath^(U) and said, “I am about to die;^(V) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself^(W) in the land of Canaan.”^(X) Now let me go up and bury my father;^(Y) then I will return.’”

⁶ Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials^(Z) accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court^(AA) and all the dignitaries of Egypt— ⁸ besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household.^(AB) Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.^{(AC) 9} Chariots^(AD) and horsemen^[b] also went up with him. It was a very large company.

¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor^(AE) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;^(AF) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period^(AG) of mourning^(AH) for his father.^{(AI) 11} When the Canaanites^(AJ) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”^(AK) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.^[c]

¹² So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:^{(AL) 13} They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(AM) near Mamre,^(AN) which Abraham had bought along with the field^(AO) as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.^{(AP) 14} After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.^(AQ)

⁵ He took his wife Sarai,^(A) his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated^(B) and the people^(C) they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan,^(D) and they arrived there.

⁶ Abram traveled through the land^(E) as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh^(F) at Shechem.^(G) At that time the Canaanites^(H) were in the land. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram^(I) and said, “To your offspring^[a] I will give this land.^(J)”^(K) So he built an altar there to the Lord,^(L) who had appeared to him.

⁸ He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar^(A) on my behalf ⁹ so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah,^(B) which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”

¹⁰ Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites^(C) who had come to the gate^(D) of his city. ¹¹ “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give^[a](E) you the field, and I give^[b] you the cave that is in it. I give^[c] it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

¹² Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land ¹³ and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵ “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels^[d] of silver,^(F) but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

¹⁶ Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver,^(G) according to the weight current among the merchants.^(H)

¹⁷ So Ephron’s field in Machpelah^(I) near Mamre^(J)—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded ¹⁸ to Abraham as his property^(K) in the presence of all the Hittites^(L) who had come to the gate^(M) of the city. ¹⁹ Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah^(N) near Mamre (which is at Hebron^(O)) in the land of Canaan.^{(P) 20} So the field and the cave in it were deeded^(Q) to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.^(R)

⁸ And I will bring you to the land^(A) I swore^(B) with uplifted hand^(C) to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.^(D) I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”^(E)

²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me^(A) has eternal life^(B) and will not be judged^(C) but has crossed over from death to life.^(D)

²⁴ I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he,^(A) you will indeed die in your sins.”

²³ For the wages of sin is death,^(A) but the gift of God is eternal life^(B) in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Believers Who Have Died

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed^(A) about those who sleep in death,^(B) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.^{(C) 14} For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,^(D) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.^{(E) 15} According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^(F) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^{(G) 16} For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^(H) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^(I) and with the trumpet call of God,^(J) and the dead in Christ will rise first.^{(K) 17} After that, we who are still alive and are left^(L) will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(M) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^(N) forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another^(O) with these words.

²⁷ Just as people are destined to die once,^(A) and after that to face judgment,^(B)