Jacob Blesses His Sons^(A)

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.^(B)

²⁸ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,^(BY) and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing^(BZ) appropriate to him.

The Death of Jacob

²⁹ Then he gave them these instructions:^(CA) “I am about to be gathered to my people.^(CB) Bury me with my fathers^(CC) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,^{(CD) 30} the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(CE) near Mamre^(CF) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field^(CG) as a burial place^(CH) from Ephron the Hittite. ³¹ There Abraham^(CI) and his wife Sarah^(CJ) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah^(CK) were buried, and there I buried Leah.^{(CL) 32} The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.^[p](CM)”

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.^(CN)

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

⁴ When the days of mourning^(CR) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,^(CS) “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(CT) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ⁵ ‘My father made me swear an oath^(CU) and said, “I am about to die;^(CV) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself^(CW) in the land of Canaan.”^(CX) Now let me go up and bury my father;^(CY) 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^(CZ) accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court^(DA) 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.^(DB) Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.^{(DC) 9} Chariots^(DD) and horsemen^[q] also went up with him. It was a very large company.

¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor^(DE) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;^(DF) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period^(DG) of mourning^(DH) for his father.^{(DI) 11} When the Canaanites^(DJ) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”^(DK) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.^[r]

¹² So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:^{(DL) 13} They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(DM) near Mamre,^(DN) which Abraham had bought along with the field^(DO) as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.^{(DP) 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.^(DQ)

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge^(DR) against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”^{(DS) 16} So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions^(DT) before he died: ¹⁷ ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins^(DU) and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’^(DV) Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.^(DW)” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.^(DX)

¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.^(DY) “We are your slaves,”^(DZ) they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?^{(EA) 20} You intended to harm me,^(EB) but God intended^(EC) it for good^(ED) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.^{(EE) 21} So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.^(EF)” And he reassured them and spoke kindly^(EG) to them.

The Death of Joseph

²² Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years^{(EH) 23} and saw the third generation^(EI) of Ephraim’s^(EJ) children.^(EK) Also the children of Makir^(EL) son of Manasseh^(EM) were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.^[s](EN)

²⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die.^(EO) But God will surely come to your aid^(EP) and take you up out of this land to the land^(EQ) he promised on oath to Abraham,^(ER) Isaac^(ES) and Jacob.”^{(ET) 25} And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath^(EU) and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones^(EV) up from this place.”^(EW)

²⁶ So Joseph died^(EX) at the age of a hundred and ten.^(EY) And after they embalmed him,^(EZ) he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King^(A)(B)

11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany^(C) at the Mount of Olives,^(D) Jesus sent two of his disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.^(E) Untie it and bring it here. ³ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

⁴ They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway.^(F) As they untied it, ⁵ some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” ⁶ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. ⁷ When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. ⁸ Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.^(I)

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts^(J)(K)(L)

¹² The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.^{(M) 14} Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

¹⁵ On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷ And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’^[c]?^(N) But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’^[d]”^(O)

¹⁸ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him,^(P) because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.^(Q)

¹⁹ When evening came, Jesus and his disciples^[e] went out of the city.^(R)

²⁰ In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi,^(S) look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly^[f] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.^{(T) 24} Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.^{(U) 25} And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”^{(V) [26] [g]}

The Authority of Jesus Questioned^(W)

²⁷ They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. ²⁸ “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

²⁹ Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰ John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

³¹ They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)^(X)

³³ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”