Jacob Blesses His Sons^(A)

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.^(B)

²⁸ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,^(BY) and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing^(BZ) appropriate to him.

The Death of Jacob

²⁹ Then he gave them these instructions:^(CA) “I am about to be gathered to my people.^(CB) Bury me with my fathers^(CC) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,^{(CD) 30} the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(CE) near Mamre^(CF) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field^(CG) as a burial place^(CH) from Ephron the Hittite. ³¹ There Abraham^(CI) and his wife Sarah^(CJ) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah^(CK) were buried, and there I buried Leah.^{(CL) 32} The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.^[p](CM)”

³³ When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.^(CN)

50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.^{(CO) 2} Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,^{(CP) 3} taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.^(CQ)

⁴ When the days of mourning^(CR) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,^(CS) “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(CT) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ⁵ ‘My father made me swear an oath^(CU) and said, “I am about to die;^(CV) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself^(CW) in the land of Canaan.”^(CX) Now let me go up and bury my father;^(CY) then I will return.’”

⁶ Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials^(CZ) accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court^(DA) and all the dignitaries of Egypt— ⁸ besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household.^(DB) Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.^{(DC) 9} Chariots^(DD) and horsemen^[q] also went up with him. It was a very large company.

¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor^(DE) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;^(DF) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period^(DG) of mourning^(DH) for his father.^{(DI) 11} When the Canaanites^(DJ) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”^(DK) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.^[r]

¹² So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:^{(DL) 13} They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(DM) near Mamre,^(DN) which Abraham had bought along with the field^(DO) as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.^{(DP) 14} After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.^(DQ)

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge^(DR) against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”^{(DS) 16} So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions^(DT) before he died: ¹⁷ ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins^(DU) and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’^(DV) Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.^(DW)” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.^(DX)

¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.^(DY) “We are your slaves,”^(DZ) they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?^{(EA) 20} You intended to harm me,^(EB) but God intended^(EC) it for good^(ED) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.^{(EE) 21} So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.^(EF)” And he reassured them and spoke kindly^(EG) to them.

The Death of Joseph

²² Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years^{(EH) 23} and saw the third generation^(EI) of Ephraim’s^(EJ) children.^(EK) Also the children of Makir^(EL) son of Manasseh^(EM) were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.^[s](EN)

²⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die.^(EO) But God will surely come to your aid^(EP) and take you up out of this land to the land^(EQ) he promised on oath to Abraham,^(ER) Isaac^(ES) and Jacob.”^{(ET) 25} And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath^(EU) and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones^(EV) up from this place.”^(EW)

²⁶ So Joseph died^(EX) at the age of a hundred and ten.^(EY) And after they embalmed him,^(EZ) he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Psalm 13^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

On Denying the Incarnation

4 Dear friends,^(A) do not believe every spirit,^(B) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.^{(C) 2} This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh^(D) is from God,^{(E) 3} but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,^(F) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.^(G)

⁴ You, dear children,^(H) are from God and have overcome them,^(I) because the one who is in you^(J) is greater than the one who is in the world.^{(K) 5} They are from the world^(L) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.^(M) This is how we recognize the Spirit^[a] of truth^(N) and the spirit of falsehood.^(O)

God’s Love and Ours

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another,^(P) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God^(Q) and knows God.^{(R) 8} Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.^{(S) 9} This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^(T) into the world that we might live through him.^{(U) 10} This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(V) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^{(W) 11} Dear friends,^(X) since God so loved us,^(Y) we also ought to love one another.^{(Z) 12} No one has ever seen God;^(AA) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.^(AB)

¹³ This is how we know^(AC) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.^{(AD) 14} And we have seen and testify^(AE) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.^{(AF) 15} If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,^(AG) God lives in them and they in God.^{(AH) 16} And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.^(AI) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.^{(AJ) 17} This is how love is made complete^(AK) among us so that we will have confidence^(AL) on the day of judgment:^(AM) In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,^(AN) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.^{(AO) 20} Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister^(AP) is a liar.^(AQ) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,^(AR) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.^{(AS) 21} And he has given us this command:^(AT) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.^(AU)

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes^(AV) that Jesus is the Christ^(AW) is born of God,^(AX) and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.^{(AY) 2} This is how we know^(AZ) that we love the children of God:^(BA) by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³ In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.^(BB) And his commands are not burdensome,^{(BC) 4} for everyone born of God^(BD) overcomes^(BE) the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.^(BF)

⁶ This is the one who came by water and blood^(BG)—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.^{(BH) 7} For there are three^(BI) that testify: ⁸ the^[b] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. ⁹ We accept human testimony,^(BJ) but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God,^(BK) which he has given about his Son. ¹⁰ Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony.^(BL) Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar,^(BM) because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,^(BN) and this life is in his Son.^{(BO) 12} Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.^(BP)

Concluding Affirmations

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God^(BQ) so that you may know that you have eternal life.^{(BR) 14} This is the confidence^(BS) we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.^{(BT) 15} And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know^(BU) that we have what we asked of him.^(BV)

¹⁶ If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life.^(BW) I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death.^(BX) I am not saying that you should pray about that.^{(BY) 17} All wrongdoing is sin,^(BZ) and there is sin that does not lead to death.^(CA)

¹⁸ We know that anyone born of God^(CB) does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one^(CC) cannot harm them.^{(CD) 19} We know that we are children of God,^(CE) and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.^{(CF) 20} We know also that the Son of God has come^(CG) and has given us understanding,^(CH) so that we may know him who is true.^(CI) And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.^(CJ)

²¹ Dear children,^(CK) keep yourselves from idols.^(CL)