The Genesis
Chapter
50
1 Well at that, JoSeph fell over his father's face, cried over him, and kissed him. 2 Then JoSeph told his servants (the embalmers) to [take charge of] his father's body, and the embalmers mummified IsraEl. 3 The process took forty days, because that's how long it takes to mummify someone. And all of Egypt mourned over him for seventy days.
4 Then when the days of mourning were completed, JoSeph spoke to the Pharaoh's mighty ones and said: 'If I've found favor in your eyes, talk to Pharaoh for me and tell him that 5 my father made me swear, saying, I want you to bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of CanaAn. So, I wish to go there and bury my father… and then I'll return.'
6 And Pharaoh said to JoSeph: 'Go up [north] and bury your father, just as he made you swear.'
7 So JoSeph went up [to the land of CanaAn] to bury his father; and all of Pharaoh's servants and the elders of his house, as well as all the elders of the land of Egypt traveled with him… 8 along with the households of JoSeph and his brothers and the household of his father and his relatives. However, they left the sheep and oxen behind in the land of Gesem. 9 The entourage also included many chariots and horsemen, and a large crowd of others.
10 Then upon arriving at the threshing-floor of Atad (which is across the JorDan), they wailed for [Jacob] with a very deep grief, and they mourned there for his father for the next seven days.
11 Well, when the people of the land of CanaAn saw the mourning at the floor of Atad, they said: 'This is a huge mourning to the Egyptians.' So after that, they named the place The Mourning of Egypt Beyond the JorDan.
12 Yes, that's what his sons did for him. 13 His sons carried him up into the land of CanaAn and buried him in the double cave that AbraHam bought as his own burying place from EphRon the Chettite, which is across from MamRe. 14 Then JoSeph and his brothers returned to Egypt, along with all those who had come with him to bury his father.
15 Well, after JoSeph's brothers saw their father had died, they said: 'Let's not forget that JoSeph may decide to get even with us and pay us back for all the evil things that we did to him at any time.' 16 So they went to JoSeph and said: 'Before his death, your father made us swear. He instructed us 17 to tell JoSeph this: Forgive us for the bad things we've done and for our sins, because we've really done an evil thing to you. Now, forgive the injustice of the servants of the God of your father.' Well, JoSeph started to weep while they were talking to him. 18 Then they came up to him and said, 'We are your servants!'
19 And JoSeph said: 'Don't be afraid, for I [belong to] God. 20 So although you once met and talked about doing evil things to me; God made what you said about me [turn out] for the good. And that's why things happened as they have today… so that many people might be fed.'
21 Then he said to them: 'Don't be afraid; I'll take care of you and your families.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
22 Well, JoSeph continued to live in Egypt along with his brothers and his father's family, and he lived for a hundred and ten years. 23 JoSeph [lived to] see Ephraim's children through the third generation, and the sons of MachIr (ManasSeh's son) were born at his side.
24 Then JoSeph told his [family]: 'I'm dying. But God will surely come to you and take you from this land into the land that God swore to our ancestors, AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob. 25 Then JoSeph made the Sons of IsraEl swear, saying: 'When God comes for you, you must carry my bones back with you.'
26 So JoSeph died at a hundred and ten years old (c. 1879-BCE), and they prepared his body, then they placed it in a [tomb] in Egypt.
4 Then when the days of mourning were completed, JoSeph spoke to the Pharaoh's mighty ones and said: 'If I've found favor in your eyes, talk to Pharaoh for me and tell him that 5 my father made me swear, saying, I want you to bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of CanaAn. So, I wish to go there and bury my father… and then I'll return.'
6 And Pharaoh said to JoSeph: 'Go up [north] and bury your father, just as he made you swear.'
7 So JoSeph went up [to the land of CanaAn] to bury his father; and all of Pharaoh's servants and the elders of his house, as well as all the elders of the land of Egypt traveled with him… 8 along with the households of JoSeph and his brothers and the household of his father and his relatives. However, they left the sheep and oxen behind in the land of Gesem. 9 The entourage also included many chariots and horsemen, and a large crowd of others.
10 Then upon arriving at the threshing-floor of Atad (which is across the JorDan), they wailed for [Jacob] with a very deep grief, and they mourned there for his father for the next seven days.
11 Well, when the people of the land of CanaAn saw the mourning at the floor of Atad, they said: 'This is a huge mourning to the Egyptians.' So after that, they named the place The Mourning of Egypt Beyond the JorDan.
12 Yes, that's what his sons did for him. 13 His sons carried him up into the land of CanaAn and buried him in the double cave that AbraHam bought as his own burying place from EphRon the Chettite, which is across from MamRe. 14 Then JoSeph and his brothers returned to Egypt, along with all those who had come with him to bury his father.
15 Well, after JoSeph's brothers saw their father had died, they said: 'Let's not forget that JoSeph may decide to get even with us and pay us back for all the evil things that we did to him at any time.' 16 So they went to JoSeph and said: 'Before his death, your father made us swear. He instructed us 17 to tell JoSeph this: Forgive us for the bad things we've done and for our sins, because we've really done an evil thing to you. Now, forgive the injustice of the servants of the God of your father.' Well, JoSeph started to weep while they were talking to him. 18 Then they came up to him and said, 'We are your servants!'
19 And JoSeph said: 'Don't be afraid, for I [belong to] God. 20 So although you once met and talked about doing evil things to me; God made what you said about me [turn out] for the good. And that's why things happened as they have today… so that many people might be fed.'
21 Then he said to them: 'Don't be afraid; I'll take care of you and your families.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
22 Well, JoSeph continued to live in Egypt along with his brothers and his father's family, and he lived for a hundred and ten years. 23 JoSeph [lived to] see Ephraim's children through the third generation, and the sons of MachIr (ManasSeh's son) were born at his side.
24 Then JoSeph told his [family]: 'I'm dying. But God will surely come to you and take you from this land into the land that God swore to our ancestors, AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob. 25 Then JoSeph made the Sons of IsraEl swear, saying: 'When God comes for you, you must carry my bones back with you.'
26 So JoSeph died at a hundred and ten years old (c. 1879-BCE), and they prepared his body, then they placed it in a [tomb] in Egypt.
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