Mourning and Burial for Jacob 1 UST Then Joseph hugged his father{ in sorrow}, and he cried over him and kissed him{ goodbye}{ on the cheek}. BSB BSB: Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.
2 UST Then he ordered his doctors who served him to prepare his father{’ s body} for burial. So they did that. BSB BSB: And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,
3 UST The process took forty days, which is how long it{ normally} takes to prepare a body. The people in Egypt mourned for Israel{ for} seventy days. BSB BSB: taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
4 UST After that time of mourning Israel’ s death, Joseph said to Pharaoh’ s officials,“Please do this favor for me: please take a message to{ King} Pharaoh{ for me} and tell{ him} BSB BSB: 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
5 UST that when my father was about to die, he had me vow to him that I would bury his body in the region of Canaan, in a tomb that he had prepared for himself there. So{ ask the king to} please let me go{ to Canaan} and bury my father{’ s body}{ there}. After that, I will come back{ here}.” BSB BSB: 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.”
6 UST { When Pharaoh heard Joseph’ s message,} he replied,“{ Tell Joseph that} he may go{ to Canaan} and bury his father{’ s body} just as his father made him vow{ that he would do}.” BSB BSB: Pharaoh replied, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
7 UST So Joseph started the trip{ to Canaan} to bury his father{’ s body}, and all Pharaoh’ s officials escorted him,{ including} the important leaders from Pharaoh’ s court and all the{ other} important leaders in the country of Egypt. BSB BSB: Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied him—the elders of Pharaoh’s household and all the elders of the land of Egypt—
8 UST All of Joseph’ s family also{ went with him,} including his brothers and{ the rest of} his father’ s family. They only left{ behind} their children and their livestock in Goshen Province. BSB BSB: 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.
9 UST { Many} soldiers also escorted Joseph,{ including} those{ who were} riding chariots and those{ who were} riding horses, so that the{ entire} group was very large. BSB BSB: Chariots and horsemen alike went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large procession.
10 UST They traveled to the other side of the Jordan{ River} and stopped at a{ grain} threshing place owned by{ a man named} Atad. There Joseph{ and the others} mourned for his father very loudly and sorrowfully for seven days. BSB BSB: 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.
11 UST When the Canaanites who lived in the area saw them mourning{ like that} at Atad’ s threshing place, they exclaimed{ to each other},“{ Wow!} Those people from Egypt are mourning{ very} sorrowfully{ for someone who died}!” That is why the name of that place on the other side of the Jordan{ River} is Abel Mizraim,{ which means“Egyptians’ mourning place.”} BSB BSB: 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.
12 UST Jacob’ s sons did{ everything} for him just as he had instructed them{ to do}: BSB BSB: So Jacob’s sons did as he had charged them.
13 UST They took his body to the region of Canaan and buried it in the cave{ that is} in the field in the Machpelah{ area}, near{ the city of} Mamre.{ It was} the field{ and cave} that Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite as a place to bury his dead{ relatives}. BSB BSB: 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.
14 UST After Joseph buried his father{’ s body}, he returned to{ the country of} Egypt, along with his brothers and everyone{ else} who had accompanied him to his father’ s funeral. 50:15-21 BSB BSB: 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 15 UST Now that their father was no longer alive, Joseph’ s brothers{ were worried and} said{ to each other},“If Joseph is angry at us for the terrible way that we treated him, he might punish us severely for what we did.” BSB BSB: 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.”
16 UST So they sent{ a messenger} to Joseph to tell{ him},“Before our father died, he told{ us} BSB BSB: So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,
17 UST to ask you to please forgive{ us}, your brothers, for sinning{ against you} and treating you so badly. So then, as servants of God whom our father worshiped, we beg you to forgive us for sinning{ against you}.” When Joseph heard his brothers’ message to him, he{ was very sad and} cried. BSB BSB: ‘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.
18 UST Then his brothers came{ to him}, prostrated themselves before him{ to show respect}, and said{ to him},“Here we are, we{ will be} your servants!” BSB BSB: His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”
19 UST But Joseph replied to them,“You do not need to be afraid. After all, I am not God!{ So I have no right to punish you.} BSB BSB: But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
21 UST So then, you do not need to be afraid. I{ myself} will provide{ everything} that you and your children need.” In that way, Joseph assured them{ that he had forgiven them}, and he{ also} said{ other} things to encourage them. 50:22-26 BSB BSB: 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 22 UST Joseph continued to live in{ the country of} Egypt, along with{ the rest of} his father{ Jacob}’ s family, until he was 110 years old. BSB BSB: Now Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110.
23 UST He lived{ long enough} to see{ his son} Ephraim’ s children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren. The children of{ his grandson} Machir,{ who was} Manasseh’ s son, also grew up during his lifetime. BSB BSB: He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.
24 UST Then{ one day} Joseph said to his brothers,“I am about to die, but God will definitely help you and take you{ and your descendants} from this country to the land that he vowed{ to give} to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. BSB BSB: 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.”
25 UST When God does that, you must take my body back{ to Canaan}{ with you}{ and bury it there}.” Then Joseph had{ his brothers and}{ the rest of} the descendants of Israel vow{ that they would do that}. BSB BSB: 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.”
26 UST So Joseph died at the age of 110 years. Then his doctors prepared his body for burial, and they put it in a burial box in{ the country of} Egypt. BSB BSB: So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt.