After Jacob has lived in Egypt for seventeen years, he feels his days on earth are ending. He calls Joseph to his side and asks him to promise that he will bury him in the land of Canaan where Abraham and Isaac are buried. Jacob then blesses Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Menasseh, that they will each become the father of a tribe, just like Jacob's sons.

Jacob then calls all of his sons to his side and blesses each one. He tells each son what his role will be as one of the Tribes of Israel. For example, he says that the tribe of Judah will produce kings, and Dan will produce judges. Naphtali will be swift as a deer and Benjamin fierce as a wolf.

When Jacob is finished blessing his children, he passes away. He is 147 years old. Joseph cries and mourns his father as do his brothers and all of the people of the land of Egypt. They mourn Jacob because he was a righteous person who brought a lot of blessing to the land. Joseph keeps his promise to his father and brings him to the land of Canaan and buries him in the Cave of Machpeila in the city of Hebron.

The sons of Jacob are worried that now that Jacob is no longer alive Joseph will take revenge on them for selling him into slavery. But Joseph comforts them and tells them he is not planning to do anything against his brothers. Joseph dies at the age of 110. Before passing away, he gives a message to the people of Israel, telling them that "G‑d will surely remember you, and bring you up out of this land to the land of which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." He asks that his body be brought out of Egypt with them.

Joseph's body is not buried in the land of Canaan yet. (The Egyptians do not let the Jewish people take him out of Egypt.) With this Parshah we conclude the first book of the Torah, the book of Bereishit.