Genesis 49:29-50:14
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jacob’s Burial Instructions
29 Then he commanded them: “I am about to be gathered to my people.(A) Bury me with my fathers(B) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.(C) 30 The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.(D) 31 Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there,(E) Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there,(F) and I buried Leah there.(G) 32 The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and died. He was gathered to his people.
Jacob’s Burial
50 Then Joseph, leaning over his father’s face, wept and kissed him. 2 He commanded his servants who were physicians to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. 3 They took 40 days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him 70 days.(H)
4 When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell[a] Pharaoh that 5 my father made me take an oath,(I) saying, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me there in the tomb that I made for myself in the land of Canaan.’(J) Now let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.”
6 So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father in keeping with your oath.”
7 Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went with him, 8 along with all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their sheep, and their cattle were left in the land of Goshen. 9 Horses and chariots went up with him; it was a very impressive procession. 10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wept loudly, and Joseph mourned seven days for his father. 11 When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” Therefore the place is named Abel-mizraim.[b] It is across the Jordan.
12 So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.(K) 14 After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.
Footnotes
- Genesis 50:4 Lit please speak in the ears of
- Genesis 50:11 = Mourning of Egypt
Genesis 49:29-50:14
International Standard Version
29 In his last words, Jacob[a] issued this set of instructions to them all: “I’m about to join[b] our ancestors. Bury me alongside my ancestors in the cave in the field that used to belong to Ephron the Hittite. 30 It’s the cave in the field near Mamre at Machpelah in the land of Canaan that Abraham bought to serve as a cemetery. 31 It’s where Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, where Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and where I buried Leah. 32 Both the field and the cave that’s in it were purchased from the Hittites.”
33 After concluding this set of instructions to his sons, Jacob[c] tucked his feet up into bed, quit breathing, and was gathered to his ancestors.
Joseph Mourns for His Father
50 Then Joseph embraced his father,[d] cried over him, and kissed him. 2 After this, he issued orders to his physician servants to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. 3 It took 40 days to complete the process, the normal period required for embalming. Meanwhile, the Egyptians mourned for him for 70 days. 4 At the conclusion of the mourning period, Joseph addressed Pharaoh’s household. “If you’re satisfied with me, would you please take this message to Pharaoh for me? Tell him, 5 ‘My father told me, “Look! I’m about to die. Bury me in my grave that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” So please let me travel to bury my father. I’ll be right back.’”
6 “Please go,” Pharaoh replied. “Bury your father, as he asked you to do.”
Joseph Mourns in Canaan
7 So Joseph got up and went to bury his father, accompanied by all of Pharaoh’s servants, all of the elders of Egypt, 8 all of Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. They left behind in the territory of Goshen only their youngest children, their flocks, and their herds. 9 Chariots and horsemen also accompanied Joseph,[e] so there were a lot of people. 10 When they arrived at Atad’s threshing floor, which is located beyond the Jordan River,[f] they held a great and mournful memorial service, during which Joseph[g] spent seven days mourning for his father. 11 As soon as the Canaanites who lived in the land observed the mourning going on at Atad’s threshing floor, they commented “This is a significant time of mourning for the Egyptians.” That’s why the place, which is located beyond the Jordan River,[h] became known as Abel-mizraim.[i]
The Burial at Machpelah
12 And so Israel’s[j] sons did what he had instructed them to do: 13 they carried him to the territory of Canaan and buried him in the cave in Machpelah field near Mamre that Abraham had purchased[k] as a cemetery from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph and his brothers returned to Egypt, along with everyone who had gone with him to attend the burial.
Footnotes
- Genesis 49:29 Lit. he
- Genesis 49:29 Lit. to be gathered to
- Genesis 49:33 Lit. he
- Genesis 50:1 Lit. Joseph fell on his father’s face
- Genesis 50:9 Lit. him
- Genesis 50:10 The Heb. lacks River
- Genesis 50:10 Lit. he
- Genesis 50:11 The Heb. lacks River
- Genesis 50:11 The Heb. name Abel-mizraim means Mourning of the Egyptians
- Genesis 50:12 Lit. so his
- Genesis 50:13 Lit. purchased along with the field
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