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Genesis 50: God Meant It for Good

Joseph wept over his father, and Egypt mourned for Jacob. Joseph and his brothers buried Jacob in the cave of Machpelah in Canaan. Afterward, the brothers feared Joseph would take revenge. Joseph wept and said, Don't be afraid. He went on, As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive. He comforted them and cared for their children. Before Joseph died at 110, he said God would surely bring Israel up to the promised land, and asked that his bones be carried there.

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Bible:

Read Genesis 50

World English Bible · 26 verses

  1. 1 Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept on him, and kissed him.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  2. 2 Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  3. 3 Forty days were used for him, for that is how many days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for Israel for seventy days.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  4. 4 When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s staff, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  5. 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.’”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  6. 6 Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear.”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  7. 7 Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  8. 8 all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  9. 9 Both chariots and horsemen went up with him. It was a very great company.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  10. 10 They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  11. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  12. 12 His sons did to him just as he commanded them,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  13. 13 for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, as a possession for a burial site, from Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  14. 14 Joseph returned into Egypt—he, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  15. 15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  16. 16 They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  17. 17 ‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  18. 18 His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  19. 19 Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  20. 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  21. 21 Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  22. 22 Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  23. 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  24. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  25. 25 Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  26. 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org

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Genesis 50 · Preschool

God Meant It for Good

Name Date

Color Joseph's kind hands. God turned something bad into something good!

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.”

Genesis 50:20 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: Joseph forgave his brothers. God can bring good even from bad things.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

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