Jacob’s Death and Burial

29 Then he charged them and said to them: “I (A)am to be gathered to my people; (B)bury me with my fathers (C)in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, (D)which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. 31 (E)There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, (F)there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Burial of Jacob

50 Then Joseph (G)fell on his father’s face and (H)wept over him, and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to (I)embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians (J)mourned[a] for him seventy days.

Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to (K)the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, (L)‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave (M)which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’ ”

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

So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.

10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they (N)mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. (O)He observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called [b]Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

12 So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. 13 For (P)his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham (Q)bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 50:3 Lit. wept
  2. Genesis 50:11 Lit. Mourning of Egypt

29 Then he instructed them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me among my ancestors[a] in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah that is before[b] Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife. And there I buried Leah— 32 the purchase of the field and the cave which was in it from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob finished instructing his sons he drew his feet up to the bed. Then he took his last breath and was gathered to his people.

Jacob’s Funeral and Joseph’s Remaining Time in Egypt

50 Then Joseph fell on the face of his father and wept upon him and kissed him. And Joseph instructed his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for it,[c] for thus are the days required for[d] embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. When the days of his weeping had passed, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die. In the tomb that I have hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan—there you must bury me.” So then, please let me go up and let me bury my father; then I will return.’” Then Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father as he made you swear.” So Joseph went up to bury his father. And all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, went up with him, with all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and the household of his father. They left only their little children and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. And there also went up with him chariots and horsemen. The company was very great. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which was beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful wailing. And he made a mourning ceremony for his father seven days. 11 And when the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, saw the mourning ceremony at the threshing floor of Atad they said, “This is a severe mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel-Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did to him just as he had instructed them. 13 And his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which field Abraham had bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite before[e] Mamre. 14 And after burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 49:29 Or “fathers”
  2. Genesis 49:30 Or “east of”
  3. Genesis 50:3 Literally “were fulfilled for it”
  4. Genesis 50:3 Literally “fulfilled”
  5. Genesis 50:13 Or “east of”