Genesis Chapter 50

            ⁴ After the time of mourning, Joseph told Pharaoh’s advisors,

“If I’m pleasing to you, tell Pharaoh ⁵ my father had me swear, ‘I’m about to die. Bury me in the grave I dug for myself in Canaan.’ Let me go up and bury him. Then I’ll be back.”

⁶ Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury him like he had you swear.”          

Gen 50:4-6

^7-8 So Joseph went up to bury him. Pharaoh’s officials, the senior members of his household, the senior officers of Egypt, Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s family went with him. They left only their little ones, flocks, and herds in Goshen. ⁹ A large company of chariots and cavalry also went up. ¹⁰ When they came to Atad’s threshing floor, not far from the Jordan, they mourned greatly. Joseph observed a week of mourning. ¹¹ When the Canaanites saw the mourning, they said, “This is extreme ‘mourning’ for ‘Egyptians’”; so they named it Abel-mizraim. ¹² His sons did for him what he’d said. ¹³ They carried him to the Cave of Machpelah east of Mamre, which Abraham had bought for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite along with the field. ¹⁴ After he’d buried him, Joseph and the whole company went back to Egypt.

Gen 50:7-14

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

            ¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers thought about the fact that their father was dead, they said “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for what we did to him?” ¹⁶ They sent him a message, “Before our father died, he charged us ¹⁷ to tell you, ‘Forgive your brothers’ sin; they did wrong.’ Forgive the servants of your father’s God.” Joseph cried when they spoke to him. ¹⁸ Then his brothers came and prostrated themselves, “We’re your servants.” ¹⁹ But Joseph said,

“I’m not God, am I? ²⁰ You meant to harm me, but he turned it out for good to bring about saving lots of people. ²¹ Don’t worry. I’ll keep taking care of you and your little ones.”

He reassured them and dealt with them graciously.                                                        

Gen 50:15-21

The Death of Joseph

²² Joseph and his father’s family stayed in Egypt. ²³ He saw three generations of Ephraim’s descendants and claimed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh as his own. ²⁴ He told his brothers, “I’m about to die, but God will take care of you, and take you up to the land he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” ²⁵ He had the sons of Israel swear, “Take my bones up from here.” ²⁶ Joseph died at 110; his body was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Gen 50:22-26

Version by Virgil Warren: christir.org