< Genesis 48 >

1 And it came to pass after these things, that it was reported to Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick. And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
After these things, someone said to Joseph [May he add], “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh [Causing to forget] and Ephraim [Fruit].
2 And it was reported to Jacob, saying, Behold, thy son Joseph comes to thee. And Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
Someone told Jacob [Supplanter], and said, “Behold, your son Joseph [May he add] comes to you,” and Israel [God prevails] strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.
3 And Jacob said to Joseph, God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
Jacob [Supplanter] said to Joseph [May he add], “El Shaddai [God Almighty] appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan [Humbled], and blessed me,
4 and said to me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a company of peoples, and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’
5 And now thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of Egypt before I came to thee into Egypt, are mine, Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.
Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery] before I came to you into Egypt [Abode of slavery], are mine; Ephraim [Fruit] and Manasseh [Causing to forget], even as Reuben [See, a son!] and Simeon [Hearing], will be mine.
6 And thy issue, which thou beget after them, shall be thine, they shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
Your issue, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
7 And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem).
As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel [Ewe sheep] died by me in the land of Canaan [Humbled] on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem [House of Bread]).”
8 And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these?
Israel [God prevails] saw Joseph [May he add]’s sons, and said, “Whose are these?”
9 And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me here. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, to me, and I will bless them.
Joseph [May he add] said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near to him, and he kissed them, and embraced them.
Now the eyes of Israel [God prevails] were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11 And Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face, and, lo, God has let me see thy seed also.
Israel [God prevails] said to Joseph [May he add], “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”
12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
Joseph [May he add] brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near to him.
Joseph [May he add] took them both, Ephraim [Fruit] in his right hand toward Israel [God prevails]’s left hand, and Manasseh [Causing to forget] in his left hand toward Israel [God prevails]’s right hand, and brought them near to him.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands deliberately, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
Israel [God prevails] stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim [Fruit]’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh [Causing to forget]’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh [Causing to forget] was the firstborn.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
He blessed Joseph [May he add], and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham [Father of a multitude] and Isaac [Laughter] walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 the agent who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham [Father of a multitude] and Isaac [Laughter]. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. And he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
When Joseph [May he add] saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim [Fruit], it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim [Fruit]’s head to Manasseh [Causing to forget]’s head.
18 And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn, put thy right hand upon his head.
Joseph [May he add] said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
His father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.”
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee will Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh. And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel [God prevails] bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim [Fruit] and as Manasseh [Causing to forget]’” He set Ephraim [Fruit] before Manasseh [Causing to forget].
21 And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
Israel [God prevails] said to Joseph [May he add], “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite [Descendants of Talkers] with my sword and with my bow.”

< Genesis 48 >