Genesis 50:1–14

The Death of Israel

1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him.

2 Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians aembalmed Israel.

3 Now forty days were 1required for 2it, for 3such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians awept for him seventy days.

4 When the days of 1mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak 2to Pharaoh, saying,

5 ‘aMy father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave bwhich I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’ ”

6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen.

9 There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company.

10 When they came to the 1threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they alamented there with a very great and 2sorrowful lamentation; and he 3observed seven days mourning for his father.

11 Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at 1the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a 2grievous 3mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named 4Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

Burial at Machpelah

12 Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them;

13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in athe cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a 1burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.