Genesis 50:15

¹³ They 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.

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

When 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.”

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

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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: When 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.”
KJV: And 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.
WEB: 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.”
ASV: And when Joseph`s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
DARBY: And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, If now Joseph should be hostile to us, and should indeed requite us all the evil that we did to him!
BLB: And the brothers of Joseph saw that their father was dead, and they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and he will surely return to us all the evil that we did to him.”

ÅB: Da Josefs brødre så at deres far var død, sa de: Bare nå ikke Josef vil hate oss og gjengjelde oss alt det onde vi gjorde mot ham!
OTB: Da Josefs brødre så at deres far var død, sa de: “Hva om Josef bærer nag mot oss og gjengjelder oss for all den urett vi gjorde mot ham?”
B1930: Da Josefs brødre så at deres far var død, sa de: Bare nu ikke Josef vil hate oss og gjengjelde oss alt det onde vi gjorde mot ham!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Proverbs 28:1
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Read in context
Genesis 42:21–22
Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
Read in context
Psalms 14:5
There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is in the company of the righteous.
Read in context
Genesis 27:41–42
Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
Read in context
Job 15:21–22
Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
Read in context
Leviticus 26:36
As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. And they will flee as one flees the sword, and fall when no one pursues them.
Read in context
Psalms 53:5
There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to fear. For God has scattered the bones of those who besieged you. You put them to shame, for God has despised them.
Read in context
Genesis 42:17
So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
Read in context