BRAGADAYJAH 156

In the meantime, Israel and his family remained in the country of Goshen in the land of Egypt, and guess what? They began to multiply exceedingly. For seventeen years, Israel lived in the land of Egypt until he reached the age of one hundred and forty and seven years. By this time, Israel knew that he would shortly go to sleep with his fathers; so he called his son Joseph and said to him. “Son, if now I have found grace in they sight, swear to me; put your hand beneath my thigh, and promise me that you will honor my dying wish; that you will not bury me in the land of Egypt; but that when I die, you will carry me back to the burying place of my fathers and bury me there.” And Joseph said, “I will father.” And Israel said, “Swear unto me.” Then Joseph said, “I swear.” And so, Israel, satisfied that his son had made a vow to him concerning his final resting place settled himself upon his bed; and Joseph left his father and went away. Shorty after that news reached Joseph that his father was very ill, and Joseph took his two sons Manesseh and Ephraim and went to visit his father. As Joseph approached unto the place, it was told Israel that Joseph was coming; and so Israel mustered strength enough to sit himself erect upon his bed. And when Joseph arrived at his bedside, Israel told him how that God Almighty had met him at Luz in the land of Canaan and told him that He would make him fruitful and multiply him; that he would make of him a great nation; and the land of Canaan would be given to him and his seed for an everlasting possession. So now, Israel told Joseph further, “your two sons Ephraim and Manesseh who were born in the land of Egypt before I came to Egypt are mine, as Rueben and Simeon are mine; and also said Israel, the children which are born after these in the land of Egypt are mine also.” More