Genesis 50, side by side

Two versions of the same chapter. Each row is one verse, so you can see how the wording changes.

Modern

1Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.

Classic

1And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept upon him, and kissed him.

Modern

2And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,

Classic

2And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.

Modern

3taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

Classic

3And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.

Modern

4When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that

Classic

4And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Modern

5my father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father, and then return.”

Classic

5My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.

Modern

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

Classic

6And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.

Modern

7Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied him—the elders of Pharaoh’s household and all the elders of the land of Egypt—

Classic

7And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

Modern

8along with all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen.

Classic

8And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.

Modern

9Chariots and horsemen alike went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large procession.

Classic

9And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.

Modern

10When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.

Classic

10And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

Modern

11When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians.” Thus the place across the Jordan is called Abel-mizraim.

Classic

11And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.

Modern

12So Jacob’s sons did as he had charged them.

Classic

12And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:

Modern

13They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

Classic

13For 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 for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

Modern

14After Joseph had buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

Classic

14And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

Modern

15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.”

Classic

15And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

Modern

16So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,

Classic

16And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

Modern

17‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

Classic

17So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

Modern

18His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”

Classic

18And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

Modern

19But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?

Classic

19And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

Modern

20As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

Classic

20But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Modern

21Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.

Classic

21Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

Modern

22Now Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110.

Classic

22And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.

Modern

23He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.

Classic

23And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees.

Modern

24Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Classic

24And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Modern

25And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

Classic

25And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

Modern

26So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt.

Classic

26So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Your pair of translations is remembered on this device for other chapters.