1 Joseph threw himself on his father, wept over him and kissed him.
Adverts
2 Then he ordered the doctors, who were at his service, to embalm his father Israel. And they embalmed him.
3 It took them a full forty days, as that was the time for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned his death seventy days.
4 After the days of mourning passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court: “If I can count on your kindness, speak to Pharaoh on my behalf. Tell him that
5 my father made me swear the following oath to him: 'I am on the verge of death; bury me in the tomb that I prepared for me in the land of Canaan.' Now therefore, ask him to allow me to go and bury my father; I’ll be back soon.”
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6 Pharaoh replied, “Go and bury your father as he made him swear.”
7 Then Joseph left to bury his father. All of Pharaoh's advisors, the authorities of his court and all the authorities of Egypt went with him,
8 and besides them, all of Joseph's family, his brothers and all of his father's house. Only the children, sheep and oxen were left in Goshen.
9 Carriages and horsemen also accompanied him. The entourage was immense.
10 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented with a loud voice, with great bitterness; and there Joseph mourned seven days over the death of his father.
11 When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said: “The Egyptians are celebrating a solemn mourning ceremony.” For this reason, that place, near the Jordan, was called Abel Mizraim.
12 So the sons of Jacob did as he commanded them:
13 They took him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial plot along with the field.
14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, with his brothers and everyone else who had accompanied him.
15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father had died, they said: “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and decides to repay all the harm we caused him? “
16 Then they sent a message to Joseph, saying: “Before he died, your father commanded us
17 that we tell you the following: 'I ask you to forgive the mistakes and sins of your brothers who treated you so badly! 'Now therefore forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When he received the message, José cried.
18 Then his brothers came and fell down before him and said, “Here we are. We are your slaves! “
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid. Would I be in God's place?
20 You planned evil against me, but God intended it for good, so that the lives of many would be preserved today.
21 So don't be afraid. I will support you and your children.” And so he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
22 Joseph remained in Egypt, with his father's entire family. Lived one hundred and ten years
23 and he saw the third generation of the children of Ephraim. Furthermore, he received as his own the sons of Machir, son of Manasseh.
24 Before he died, Joseph said to his brothers: “I am on the verge of death. But God will certainly come to your aid and take you out of this land and take you to the land he promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
25 And Joseph made the children of Israel swear an oath to him, saying to them: “When God intervenes on your behalf, take my bones from here.”
26 Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years. And, after being embalmed, he was placed in a sarcophagus in Egypt.
