5. My father made me swear: ‘I am dying. Bury me in my grave that I have prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.’ So now let me go up to bury my father. Then I will come back.”
6. Pharaoh replied, “Go and bury your father, as he made you promise on oath.”
7. So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went all of Pharaoh’s officials who were senior members of his household and all the other elders of the land of Egypt,
8. as well as Joseph’s whole household, his brothers, and his father’s household; only their children and their flocks and herds were left in the region of Goshen.
9. Chariots, too, and horsemen went up with him; it was a very imposing retinue.
10. When they arrived at Goren-ha-atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they held there a very great and solemn memorial service; and Joseph observed seven days of mourning for his father.
11. When the Canaanites who inhabited the land saw the mourning at Goren-ha-atad, they said, “This is a solemn funeral on the part of the Egyptians!” That is why the place was named Abel-mizraim. It is beyond the Jordan.
12. Thus Jacob’s sons did for him as he had instructed them.
13. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought for a burial ground from Ephron the Hittite.
14. After Joseph had buried his father he returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all who had gone up with him for the burial of his father.
15. Now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful and thought, “Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us and now most certainly will pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!”
16. So they sent to Joseph and said: “Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
17. ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: Please forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers, who treated you harmfully.’ So now please forgive the crime that we, the servants of the God of your father, committed.” When they said this to him, Joseph broke into tears.
18. Then his brothers also proceeded to fling themselves down before him and said, “We are your slaves!”
19. But Joseph replied to them: “Do not fear. Can I take the place of God?
20. Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve this present end, the survival of many people.
21. So now, do not fear. I will provide for you and for your children.” By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
22. Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father’s household. He lived a hundred and ten years.
23. He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation, and the children of Manasseh’s son Machir were also born on Joseph’s knees.