Study Desk

"Issachar is like a strong donkey who lies down while carrying his load.

When he sees his resting place is good and how pleasant his land is, he will put his back to the load and become a slave.

"Dan will rule his own people like the other tribes in Israel.

but he aims his bow well. His arms are made strong. He gets his power from the Mighty God of Jacob and his strength from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the oldest mountains, greater than the good things of the long-lasting hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, on the forehead of the one who was separated from his brothers.

Abraham and Sarah his wife are buried there. Isaac and Rebekah his wife are buried there, and I buried my wife Leah there.

After Jacob finished talking to his sons, he lay down. He put his feet back on the bed, took his last breath, and died.

When Jacob died, Joseph hugged his father and cried over him and kissed him.

He commanded the doctors who served him to prepare his father's body, so the doctors prepared Jacob's body to be buried.

It took the doctors forty days to prepare his body (the usual time it took). And the Egyptians had a time of sorrow for Jacob that lasted seventy days.

So Joseph went to bury his father. All the king's officers, the elders of his court, and all the elders of Egypt went with Joseph.

Everyone who lived with Joseph and his brothers went with him, as well as everyone who lived with his father. They left only their children, their flocks, and their herds in the land of Goshen.

When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan River, they cried loudly and bitterly for his father. Joseph's time of sorrow continued for seven days.

They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried it in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre. Abraham had bought this cave and field from Ephron the Hittite to use as a burial place.

After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and everyone who had gone with him to bury his father.

He said to us, ‘You have done wrong and have sinned and done evil to Joseph. Tell Joseph to forgive you, his brothers.' So now, Joseph, we beg you to forgive our wrong. We are the servants of the God of your father." When Joseph received the message, he cried.

And his brothers went to him and bowed low before him and said, "We are your slaves."

So don't be afraid. I will take care of you and your children." So Joseph comforted his brothers and spoke kind words to them.

Joseph continued to live in Egypt with all his father's family. He died when he was one hundred ten years old.

During Joseph's life Ephraim had children and grandchildren, and Joseph's son Manasseh had a son named Makir. Joseph accepted Makir's children as his own.