1Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him. 2Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, 3taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
4When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5‘My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’ ”
6Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
7So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt— 8besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. 9Chariots and horsemen50:9 Or charioteers also went up with him. It was a very large company.
10When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. 11When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.” That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.50:11 Abel Mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians.
12So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them: 13They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 14After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
The Death of Joseph
22Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years 23and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.50:23 That is, were counted as his
24Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 25And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”
26So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
安葬雅各
1约瑟伏在父亲身上痛哭，亲吻他， 2然后吩咐医生用香料保存父亲的遗体。医生遵命而行， 3按照常例花了四十天用香料处理遗体。埃及人为他哀悼七十天。
4哀悼的日子完了，约瑟对法老宫中的人说：“如果你们恩待我， 5请告诉法老，我父亲死前要我起誓把他葬在迦南他自己预备好的坟地。请准许我到迦南去安葬我父亲，我办完丧事就回来。” 6法老说：“去按照你的誓言埋葬你父亲吧。” 7于是，约瑟启程去埋葬他的父亲，随行的有法老所有的臣仆和埃及所有的达官显贵， 8以及约瑟全家、他的众弟兄和雅各的家眷，只有他们的孩子和牛羊仍然留在歌珊。 9随行的还有大队车辆和骑兵，人数众多。 10他们来到约旦河附近的亚达麦场，在那里痛哭哀悼。约瑟为父亲哭丧七天。 11迦南人看见他们在亚达麦场痛哭，就说：“埃及人在痛哭哀悼。”因此，约旦河附近的那个地方叫亚伯·麦西50:11 “亚伯·麦西”意思是“埃及人在哀哭”。。 12雅各的儿子们遵照父亲的遗言， 13把父亲的遗体带回迦南，安葬在幔利附近、麦比拉田间的洞里。洞和田地都是亚伯拉罕向赫人以弗仑买来作坟地的。 14葬礼之后，约瑟就跟众弟兄和一切随行的人返回埃及。
上帝的美好旨意
15约瑟的哥哥们见父亲死了，就说：“约瑟会不会怀恨在心，因我们以前恶待他而报复我们呢？” 16于是，他们派人去对约瑟说：“你父亲临终时交待这样的话给你， 17‘从前你哥哥们恶待你，求你饶恕他们的罪恶和过犯。’我们是你父亲的上帝的仆人，求你饶恕我们的罪恶。”约瑟听见这些话，就哭了。 18约瑟的哥哥们来见他，俯伏在他面前，说：“我们是你的奴仆。” 19约瑟对他们说：“你们不要害怕，我岂能代替上帝？ 20从前你们是要加害于我，但上帝有祂的美意，祂借此保全许多人的性命，正如今日的光景。 21因此，你们不要害怕，我会照顾你们和你们的儿女。”约瑟好言好语地宽慰他们。
约瑟去世
22约瑟和他父亲全家住在埃及。约瑟享年一百一十岁。 23他看到了以法莲的孙子，也曾把玛拿西的儿子玛吉刚出生的孩子抱在膝上。 24一天，约瑟对他的弟兄们说：“我快要死了，但上帝必看顾你们，带你们离开这里，回到祂起誓应许给亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的地方。” 25约瑟让以色列的子孙起了誓，并说：“上帝必看顾你们，你们要把我的骸骨带回迦南。” 26约瑟享年一百一十岁。他们把他的遗体用香料保存好，放在棺材里，停放在埃及。
