Jacob Dies

29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am about to be (A)gathered to my people; (B)bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in (C)the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the (D)cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a [a]burial site. 31 There they buried (E)Abraham and his wife (F)Sarah, there they buried (G)Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and (H)breathed his last, and was (I)gathered to his people.

Jacob Is Buried

50 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him. Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians (J)embalmed Israel. Now forty days were [b]required for [c]it, for [d]such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians (K)wept for him seventy days.

When the days of [e]mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak [f]to Pharaoh, saying, (L)My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave (M)which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now then, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’” 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 household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. Chariots with teams of horses also went up with him; and it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the [g]threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they (N)mourned there with a very great and [h]sorrowful lamentation; and he [i]observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at [j]the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a [k]grievous [l]mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named [m]Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

Burial at Machpelah

12 And so his sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in (O)the cave of the field of Machpelah opposite Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a [n]burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 And after he had buried 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 49:30 Lit possession of a burial place
  2. Genesis 50:3 Lit fulfilled
  3. Genesis 50:3 Or him
  4. Genesis 50:3 Lit so are fulfilled the days of embalming
  5. Genesis 50:4 Lit weeping
  6. Genesis 50:4 Lit In the ears of
  7. Genesis 50:10 Heb Goren ha-Atad
  8. Genesis 50:10 Lit heavy
  9. Genesis 50:10 Lit made a mourning for seven days
  10. Genesis 50:11 Heb Goren ha-Atad
  11. Genesis 50:11 Lit heavy
  12. Genesis 50:11 Heb ebel
  13. Genesis 50:11 I.e., the meadow (or mourning) of Egypt
  14. Genesis 50:13 Lit possession of a burial place

Jacob’s death and burial

29 Jacob ordered them, “I am soon to join my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave that’s in the field of Ephron the Hittite; 30 in the cave that’s in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in the land of Canaan that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial property. 31 That is where Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and where Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and where I buried Leah. 32 It is the field and the cave in it that belonged to the Hittites.” 33 After he finished giving orders to his sons, he put his feet up on the bed, took his last breath, and joined his people.

50 Joseph fell across his father’s body, wept over him, and kissed him. Joseph then ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel. They mourned for him forty days because that is the period required for embalming. Then the Egyptians mourned him for seventy days. After the period of mourning had passed, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s household: “If you approve my request, give Pharaoh this message: My father made me promise, telling me, ‘I’m about to die. You must bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now, let me leave and let me bury my father, and then I will return.”

Pharaoh replied, “Go, bury your father as you promised.”

So Joseph left to bury his father. All of Pharaoh’s servants went with him, together with the elder statesmen in his household and all of the elder statesmen in the land of Egypt, Joseph’s entire household, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only the children, flocks, and cattle remained in the land of Goshen. Even chariots and horsemen went with him; it was a huge collection of people. 10 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad on the other side of the Jordan River, they observed a solemn, deeply sorrowful period of mourning. He grieved seven days for his father.

11 When the Canaanites who lived in the land saw the observance of grief on Atad’s threshing floor, they said, “This is a solemn observance of grief by the Egyptians.” Therefore, its name is Abel-mizraim.[a] It is on the other side of the Jordan River. 12 Israel’s sons did for him just as he had ordered. 13 His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as burial property from Ephron the Hittite. 14 Then[b] Joseph returned to Egypt, he, his brothers, and everyone who left with him to bury his father.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 50:11 Or the Egyptians’ observance of grief
  2. Genesis 50:14 LXX; MT includes after he buried his father.