Genesis 50 68
to his fa ther ’ s house hold . Only their chil dren and their flocks and herds were left in Go shen . 9 Char i ots and horse men a also went up with him . It was a very large com pany .
10 When they reached the thresh ing floor of Atad , near the Jor dan , they lamented loudly and bit terly ; and there Jo seph ob served a sevenday pe riod of mourn ing for his fa ther . 11 When the Ca naan ites who lived there saw the mourn ing at the thresh ing floor of Atad , they said , “ The Egyp tians are hold ing a sol emn cer e mony of mourn ing .” That is why that place near the Jor dan is called Abel Miz raim . b
12 So Ja cob ’ s sons did as he had commanded them : 13 They car ried him to the land of Ca naan and bur ied him in the cave in the field of Mach pe lah , near Mamre , which Abra ham had bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hit tite . 14 Af ter bury ing his fa ther , Jo seph re turned to Egypt , to gether with his broth ers and all the oth ers who had gone with him to bury his fa ther .
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15 When Jo seph ’ s broth ers saw that their fa ther was dead , they said , “ What if Jo seph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him ?” 16 So they sent word to Jo seph , say ing , “ Your fa ther left these in structions be fore he died : 17 ‘ This is what you are to say to Jo seph : I ask you to for give your broth ers the sins and the wrongs they com mit ted in treat ing you so badly .’ Now please for give the sins of the ser vants of the God of your fa ther .” When their mes sage came to him , Joseph wept .
18 His broth ers then came and threw them selves down be fore him . “ We are your slaves ,” they said .
19 But Jo seph said to them , “ Don ’ t be afraid . Am I in the place of God ? 20 You in tended to harm me , but God in tended it for good to ac com plish what is now be ing done , the sav ing of many lives . 21 So then , don ’ t be afraid . I will pro vide for you and your chil dren .” And he re assured them and spoke kindly to them .
Actionplan REMEMBER THIS
GENESIS 50:20 Joseph ’ s brothers cause terrible pain when they sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt . But God . . . ! God uses their harmful actions to put Joseph in the right place , at the right time , to save his whole family from starvation . TO DO Make a sign out of wood or cardboard , whatever you have . On one side print the word But , and on the other side print the word God . Try to remember , “ But God .” He can turn even the most awful things in your life into something good .
The Death of Joseph
22 Jo seph stayed in Egypt , along with all his fa ther ’ s fam ily . He lived a hundred and ten years 23 and saw the third gen er a tion of Ephra im ’ s chil dren . Also the chil dren of Ma kir son of Ma nas seh were placed at birth on Jo seph ’ s knees . c
24 Then Jo seph 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 prom ised on oath to Abra ham , Isaac and Ja cob .” 25 And Jo seph made the Is ra el ites swear an oath and said , “ God will surely come to your aid , and then you must carry my bones up from this place .”
26 So Jo seph died at the age of a hundred and ten . And af ter they em balmed him , he was placed in a cof fin in Egypt .
a b
9 Or charioteers 11 Abel Mizraim means c
mourning of the Egyptians . 23 That is , were counted as his