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The First Book of Moses: Genesis

Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

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- Chapter 50 -

1
Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.
2
And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,
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taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
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When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that
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my father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father, and then return.”
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Pharaoh replied, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
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Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied himthe elders of Pharaoh’s household and all the elders of the land of Egypt
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along with all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen.
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Chariots and horsemen alike went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large procession.
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When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.
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When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians.” Thus the place across the Jordan is called Abel-mizraim.(a)
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So Jacob’s sons did as he had charged them.
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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 from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.
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After Joseph had buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

Joseph Comforts His Brothers

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When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.”
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So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,
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This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
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His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”
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But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
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As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like thisto preserve the lives of many people.
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Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.

The Death of Joseph

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Now Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110.
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He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up (b) on Joseph’s knees.
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Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
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And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”
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So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt.

Footnotes

(a)50:11 Abel-mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians.
(b)50:23 Or born or placed at birth
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 used for him, for that is how many days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for Israel for seventy days.
4
When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s staff, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
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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.”
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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,
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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.
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Both chariots and horsemen went up with him. It was a very great company.
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They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.
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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 its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
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His sons did to him just as he commanded them,
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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, as a possession for a burial site, from Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre.
14
Joseph returned into Egypthe, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

Joseph Comforts His Brothers

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 the evil which we did to him.”
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They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,
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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.
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His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
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Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
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As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.
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Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.

The Death of Joseph

22
Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years.
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Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.
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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.”
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Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
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So Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.