1 Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept on him, and kissed him.
2 Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and
the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were fulfilled for him, for
that is how many the days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for him for
seventy days.
4 When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the house of
Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the
ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am
dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of
Canaan.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will
come again.’”
6 Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you
swear.”
7 Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants
of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt,
8 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. 9 There went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very
great company. 10 They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is
beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and sore
lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants
of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they
said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore, the name of
it was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. 12 His sons did to
him just as he commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him into the land
of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which
Abraham bought with the field, for a possession of a burying-place, from
Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. 14 Joseph returned into Egypt — he, and
his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had
buried his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It
may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all of the
evil which we did to him. 16 They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your
father commanded before he died, saying, 17 “So you shall tell Joseph,
‘Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because
they did evil to you.’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants
of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His
brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we
are your servants.” 19 Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in
the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God
meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people
alive. 21 Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will nourish you and your
little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.
22 Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one
hundred ten years. 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third
generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on
Joseph’s knees. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will
surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he
swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Joseph took an oath of the
children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall
carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred ten
years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
|
|