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Jacob lived seventeen years
happily in Egypt with all his family, and saw his sons' sons growing up
around him. But now he was 147 years old, and he became ill, and
felt that he must soon die, and he sent for his son Joseph, to bless him,
and talk to him. Joseph went directly to his father, and he took
with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob was very ill, and
lying upon his bed; but when he saw Joseph, he sat up, and began to talk
to him of that gracious God who had been so kind to them all; who had
appeared to him many years before at Bethel, and promised to give the land
of Canaan to his children for a possession. Then Jacob turned round,
and saw Joseph's two sons standing by their father, and asked, "Who
are they?" Joseph said, "They are my sons, the children
whom God has given me in Egypt." Then Jacob told them to come
to him, that the might bless them: and he put his arms around them,
and kissed them, and thanked God who had shown them to him. Then he
put his hands upon the heads, and blessed both them and their
father. He said, "The God who hath kept my father Abraham and
Isaac, who has taken care of me all my life, the angel who redeemed me
from evil, bless the lads." Then Jacob called all his sons, and
blessed them. God taught him to prophesy, and he told his sons of
many wonderful things, which would happen when they were dead, and in
their graves. Jacob told his sons, that God would bring their
children home again to Canaan after many years; and he commanded them not
bury him in Egypt, but to carry his body to Canaan, to the cave of
Machpelah, and bury it there, by Abraham, and Isaac, and their families. When
Jacob had finished all he wished to say, he lay down again on the bed, and
died, and his happy soul went to God, the God of his fathers, to be with
Him for ever. Jacob was a sinner, like each of us; he had done many
wicked things; but all his sins were washed away; he had asked
forgiveness, and God had heard his prayer, and saved him. When
Joseph saw that Jacob was dead, he "fell upon his father's face, and
wept upon him, and kissed him." All the people wept for Jacob
seventy days. Then Joseph said to king Pharaoh, "My father
commanded me not to bury him in Egypt, but to carry him to Canaan, to his
own grave: let me now go to Canaan, and bury my father, and then I
will come back again." And Pharaoh gave him leave; so Joseph,
and his brothers, and their servants, went up to Canaan with chariots and
horses: but their little children, and their flocks, staid in
Egypt. They carried with them Jacob's dead body: and when they
came to Canaan, they mourned for him again seven days; and then went on
their journey, and buried Jacob in the field of Machpelah, by his fathers
Abraham and Isaac. Let us remember, that we too must die, our bodies
must lie in the tombs, as Jacob's did, and our friends will weep for us,
as his children wept for him. But if our sins have all been
pardoned, as Jacob's were, then we shall be happy when we die.
"Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." Revelation
14:13. Joseph and his
brothers finished burying their father, and looked at his tomb for the
last time, and went back to Egypt. And then again Joseph's brothers
asked him to forgive them, for they had not forgotten their past
unkindness to him. Joseph wept when they spoke to him, and told them
not to fear, for that he would take care of them. Then they were
comforted, and they all lived in Egypt in love and peace. Joseph
lived to be 110 years old; and when he was going to die, he said to his
brothers, "I die, but fear not: God will be with you, and, in a
future time, bring your children to Canaan." And Joseph told
them to keep his bones, that they might be carried to Canaan, and be
buried there. So Joseph died, "and they embalmed him, and he
was put in a coffin in Egypt."
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