THE WORD OF ELOHIM

GENESIS

Chapter 50

     Yehoseph flung himself upon his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.  Then Yehoseph ordered the physicians in his service, to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Yisrael.  It required forty days, for such is the full period of embalming.  The Mitzrayim bewailed him seventy days, and when the wailing period was over; Yehoseph spoke to Paroh’s court, saying, “Do me this favor, and lay this appeal before Paroh:  ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die.  Be sure to bury me in the grave, which I made ready for myself, in the land of Kenaan.”  Now, therefore, let me go up and bury my father; then I shall return.’” And Paroh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you promise on oath.”

     So Yehoseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the officials of Paroh; the senior members  of his court, and all of Mitzramah’s dignitaries; together with all of Yehoseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household; only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the region of Goshen.  Chariots, too, and horsemen went up with him; it was a very large troop.

     When they came to Goren ha-Atad; which is beyond the Yarden, they held there a very great and solemn lamentation, and he observed a mourning period of seven days, for his father.  And when the Kna'aniy inhabitants of the land saw the mourning, at Goren ha-Aad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Mitzrayim.”  That is why it was named Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Yarden.  Thus his sons did for him as he had instructed them.  His sons carried him to the land of Kenaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Makpelah, the field near Mamre, which Abraham had bought for a burial site from Ephron the Chitti.  After burying his father, Yehoseph returned to Mitzramah, he and his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

     

     When Yehoseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Yehoseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrong that we did him!”  So they sent this message to Yehoseph, “Before his death, your father left this instruction:  So shall you say to Yehoseph, ‘Forgive, I urge you, the offense and guilt of your brothers, who treated you so harshly.’  Therefore, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.”  And Yehoseph was in tears as they spoke to him.

     His brothers went to him, themselves; flung themselves before him, and said, “We are prepared to be your slaves.”

But Yehoseph said to them, “Have no fear!  Am I a substitute for Elohim?  Besides, although you intended me harm; Elohim intended it for good, so as to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.  And so, fear not.  I will sustain you and your children.”  Thus he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

     

     So Yehoseph and his father’s household remained in Mitzramah.  Yehoseph lived one hundred and ten years. Yehoseph lived to see children of the third generation of Ephrayim; the children of Makir son of Menashsheh were likewise born upon Yehoseph’s knees.  At length, Yehoseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die.  Elohim will surely take notice of you and bring you up from this land, to the land that He promised on oath to Abraham, to Yischaq, and to Ya'akov.”  So Yehoseph made the sons of Yisrael swear, saying, “When Elohim has taken notice of you, you shall carry up my bones from here.”

     Yehoseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Mitzramah.

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