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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”

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. After this, he issued orders to his physician servants to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. It took 40 days to complete the process, the normal period required for embalming. Meanwhile, the Egyptians mourned for him for 70 days. 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, ‘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.’”

“Please go,” Pharaoh replied. “Bury your father, as he asked you to do.”

Joseph Mourns in Canaan

So Joseph got up and went to bury his father, accompanied by all of Pharaoh’s servants, all of the elders of Egypt, 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. 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

  1. Genesis 49:29 Lit. he
  2. Genesis 49:29 Lit. to be gathered to
  3. Genesis 49:33 Lit. he
  4. Genesis 50:1 Lit. Joseph fell on his father’s face
  5. Genesis 50:9 Lit. him
  6. Genesis 50:10 The Heb. lacks River
  7. Genesis 50:10 Lit. he
  8. Genesis 50:11 The Heb. lacks River
  9. Genesis 50:11 The Heb. name Abel-mizraim means Mourning of the Egyptians
  10. Genesis 50:12 Lit. so his
  11. Genesis 50:13 Lit. purchased along with the field