Wayfinding Bible - Flipbook - Page 80
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Genesis 50
PG 70
49:29–50:26
SCENIC
37
THE DEATHS OF JACOB AND JOSEPH
Jacob’s family settles in Egypt. Joseph is restored to his family, but he never
lives in his homeland again. He has come to Egypt as a foreigner and slave, but
over the years he assimilates himself into the culture. The one thing that sets
him apart from other Egyptians is his faith in God. Eventually Jacob dies, then
Joseph and his brothers do too; but the generations after them remain in Egypt.
22
“Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey,
the foal of a wild donkey at a spring—
one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.*
Archers attacked him savagely;
they shot at him and harassed him.
But his bow remained taut,
and his arms were strengthened
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
May the God of your father help you;
may the Almighty bless you
with the blessings of the heavens above,
and blessings of the watery depths
below,
and blessings of the breasts and womb.
May my fatherly blessings on you
surpass the blessings of my ancestors,*
reaching to the heights of the eternal
hills.
May these blessings rest on the head
of Joseph,
who is a prince among his brothers.
23
24
25
26
27
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
devouring his enemies in the morning
and dividing his plunder in the
evening.”
JACOB’S DEATH AND BURIAL
Then Jacob instructed them, “Soon I will
die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my
father and grandfather in the cave in the field
29
PG 137
28
These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and
this is what their father said as he told his sons
good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.
of Ephron the Hittite. 30 This is the cave in the
field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan,
that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
as a permanent burial site. 31 There Abraham
and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and
his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah. 32 It is the plot of land and the cave
that my grandfather Abraham bought from the
Hittites.”
33
When Jacob had finished this charge to his
sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed
his last, and joined his ancestors in death.
b | FORGIVENESS | 50:1-21
“Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.
PG 1450
21
50
Joseph threw himself on his father and
wept over him and kissed him. 2 Then
Joseph told the physicians who served him
to embalm his father’s body; so Jacob* was
embalmed. 3 The embalming process took the
usual forty days. And the Egyptians mourned
his death for seventy days.
4
When the period of mourning was over, Jo
seph approached Pharaoh’s advisers and said,
“Please do me this favor and speak to Pharaoh
on my behalf. 5 Tell him that my father made
me swear an oath. He said to me, ‘Listen, I am
about to die. Take my body back to the land of
Canaan, and bury me in the tomb I prepared
for myself.’ So please allow me to go and bury
my father. After his burial, I will return without
delay.”
6
Pharaoh agreed to Joseph’s request. “Go
and bury your father, as he made you promise,” he said. 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. He was accompanied by all of Pharaoh’s
officials, all the senior members of Pharaoh’s
household, and all the senior officers of Egypt.
49:22 Or Joseph is a fruitful tree, / a fruitful tree beside a spring. / His
branches reach over the wall. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
49:26 Or of the ancient mountains. 50:2 Hebrew Israel. See note
on 35:21.
