Chronological
Joseph Visits His Ill Father
48 Some time later, somebody informed Joseph, “Your father is ill!” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him to visit Jacob.[a]
2 As soon as Jacob was informed, “Look! Your son Joseph has come to visit you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
3 Jacob reminded Joseph, “God Almighty revealed himself to me at Luz in Canaan and blessed me. 4 He told me, ‘Pay attention! I’m going to make you fruitful and numerous. I’m going to build you into a vast nation of people and then I’ll give this land to your descendants[b] for an eternal possession.’ 5 You have two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to be with you, whom I now take as my own. Ephraim and Manasseh are mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 Your descendants[c] are to be reckoned as yours, but are to be referred to among the names of their brothers in their respective[d] inheritances.
7 “Now as for me, Rachel died after I arrived in Canaan from Paddan, much to my sorrow. While I was on my journey to Ephrathah (also known as Bethlehem), I buried her there.”
Joseph Seeks Blessings for His Sons
8 Just then, Israel saw Joseph’s sons and asked, “Who are these?”
9 “These are my sons,” Joseph replied.[e] “God gave them to me here in Egypt.”[f]
“Please bring them close to me,” Jacob[g] said, “so I can bless them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyesight had become poor[h] from age. Because he couldn’t see well, Joseph brought them close to him, and Israel[i] kissed them both and embraced them. 11 Then he told Joseph, “I never thought I’d see you again, and now God has allowed me to see your children as well!”
12 Joseph took them off his knees and then bowed low with his face to the ground. 13 Then he brought them both close to his father,[j] placing Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand, laying it on Ephraim’s head (he was the younger son) and laying his left hand on Manasseh’s head (even though Manasseh was the firstborn).
Israel Blesses Joseph’s Sons
15 Then Israel blessed Joseph by saying:
“May the God in whose presence
my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has continued shepherding me
my whole life even until today,
16 the angel who has been rescuing[k] me
from all sorts of evil,
bless these young men.
May my name continue to live on within them,
including the names
of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac,
and may they grow into a vast multitude
throughout the earth.”
17 But Joseph observed that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head. That displeased him, so he grabbed his father’s hand and started to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 “No, father, this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused. “I know,” he said. “I know. He’s going to produce a large nation, and he’s going to be very great. However, his younger brother will become even greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
20 That very day, Jacob[l] blessed them with this blessing:[m]
“By you Israel will extend this blessing:
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
By doing this, he placed Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel told Joseph, “Pay attention! I’m about to die, but God will be with you. He’ll bring you back to the land that belongs to your ancestors. 22 I’m assigning you one portion more than your brothers from the land that I confiscated from the control[n] of the Amorites in battle.”[o]
Jacob’s Final Blessings
49 After this, Jacob called his sons together and told them, “Assemble yourselves around me[p] so I can tell you all what is going to happen to you in the last days.[q]
2 “Gather together and listen,
you children of Jacob.
Listen to your father Israel.”
On the Future of Reuben
3 “Reuben, you’re my firstborn,
my strength,
and the first fruit of my vitality.
You excel in rank
and excel in power.
4 But you’re as undisciplined as a roaring river,
so eventually you won’t succeed,
because you got in your father’s bed,[r]
defiled it, and then approached my couch.”
On the Future of Simeon and Levi
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;
their swords are violent weapons.
6 I’ll[s] never join their council;
I’ll never enter their assembly.
In their anger they committed murder
and lamed cattle just for fun.
7 Their anger is cursed,
because it is so fierce,
as is their vehemence,
because it is so cruel.
I will separate them throughout Jacob’s territory[t]
and disperse them throughout Israel.”
On the Future of Judah
8 “Your brothers will praise you, Judah.[u]
Your hand will be at the throat of your enemies,
and your father’s children will bow down to you.
9 Judah is a lion cub.
My son, you have gone up from the prey.
Crouching like a lion,
he lies down,
Like a lioness,
who would dare rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until the one[v] comes, who owns them both,[w]
and to him will belong the allegiance[x] of nations.
11 Binding his donkey to the vine
and his mare’s foal to its thick tendrils,
he will wash his garments in wine
and his robe in the juice of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine
and his teeth whiter than milk.”
On the Future of Zebulun
13 “Zebulun will settle down near the sea shore
and become a safe haven for shipping,
bordering Sidon.”
On the Future of Issachar
14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,
resting between sheepfolds.
15 He observed that his resting place was excellent,
and that the land was pleasant;
he bent down,
picked up his burdens,
and became a slave at forced labor.”
On the Future of Dan
16 “Dan will judge[y] his people
as one of Israel’s tribes.
17 Dan will be a snake on the path,
a viper on the road
that snaps at the heels of horses,
causing their riders to fall off.
18 “Lord, I’m waiting for your salvation.”
On the Future of Gad
19 “Bandits will raid Gad,
but Gad will raid them back.”[z]
On the Future of Asher
20 “Asher’s food will be delicious;
he will be a provider of delicacies fit for royalty.”
On the Future of Naphtali
21 “Naphtali is a free running deer
who produces eloquent literature.”
On the Future of Joseph
22 “Joseph is descended from a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine planted near springs of water.
His branches climb over walls.
23 Even though enemies[aa] attacked him,
shooting at him
and pursuing him viciously,
24 nevertheless his bow remained steady
and his arms kept in shape
by the strength of Jacob’s Mighty One,
in the name of the Shepherd,
Israel’s Rock,
25 by your father’s God
who helps you,
by the Almighty
who will keep on blessing you
with blessings from heaven above,
with blessings from the deepest ocean,
with blessing from the breasts and the womb.
26 Your father’s blessings will prove to be stronger
than blessings from the eternal mountains
or bounties from the everlasting hills.
May they come to rest on Joseph’s head,
May they be set upon the brow of the one
who was separated from his own brothers.”
On the Future of Benjamin
27 “Benjamin is vicious like a wolf;
what he kills in the morning
he devours in the evening.”
Jacob Dies and is Buried
28 That’s how Israel blessed these[ab] twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father told them when he pronounced his blessing for them, blessing each one with a blessing suitable for them. 29 In his last words, Jacob[ac] issued this set of instructions to them all: “I’m about to join[ad] 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[ae] 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,[af] 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,[ag] so there were a lot of people. 10 When they arrived at Atad’s threshing floor, which is located beyond the Jordan River,[ah] they held a great and mournful memorial service, during which Joseph[ai] 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,[aj] became known as Abel-mizraim.[ak]
The Burial at Machpelah
12 And so Israel’s[al] 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[am] 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.
15 Later, after Joseph’s brothers faced the reality of their father’s death, they asked themselves, “What happens if Joseph decides to hold a grudge against us? What if he pays us back in full for all the wrong things we did to him?”
16 So they sent this message to Joseph: 17 “Before he died, your father left some instructions. He told us, ‘Tell Joseph, “Please forgive your brothers’ offenses. I beg you, forgive their sins, because they wronged you.”’ So please forgive the transgression of the servants of your father’s God.”
Joseph wept when they talked to him. 18 So Joseph’s[an] brothers went to visit him, fell prostrate in front of him, and declared, “Look! We’re your servants.”
19 “Don’t be afraid,” Joseph responded. “Am I sitting in God’s place? 20 As far as you’re concerned, you were planning evil against me, but God intended it for good, planning to bring about the present result so that many people would be preserved alive. 21 So don’t be afraid! I’ll take care of you and your little ones.” So Joseph[ao] kept on comforting them, speaking to the needs of[ap] their hearts.
Joseph’s Death and Burial
22 Joseph continued to live in Egypt, along with his father’s household, until he was 110 years old. 23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children, as well as the children who had been born to Manasseh’s son Machir, whom he adopted as his own.[aq] 24 Later, Joseph told his brothers, “I’m going to die soon, but God will certainly provide for you and bring you up from this land to the land that he promised with an oath to give[ar] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 So Joseph made all of Israel’s other[as] children make this promise: “Because God is certainly going to take care of you, you are to carry my bones up from here.”
26 Some time later, Joseph died at the age of 110 years, and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.
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