Genesis 48

1 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

And it came to pass after these things, that it was reported to Joseph, Behold, your father is ill; and, having taken his two sons, Manasse and Ephraim, he came to Jacob.

2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.

And it was reported to Jacob, saying, Behold, your son Joseph comes to you; and Israel having strengthened himself, sat upon the bed.

3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me

And Jacob said to Joseph, My God appeared to me in Luza, in the land of Chanaan, and blessed me,

4 and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’

and said to me, Behold, I will increase you, and multiply you, and will make of you multitudes of nations; and I will give this land to you, and to your seed after you, for an everlasting possession.

5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.

Now then your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt, before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasse, as Ruben and Symeon they shall be mine.

6 Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.

And the children which you shall beget hereafter, shall be in the name of their brethren; they shall be named after their inheritances.

7 Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).

And as for me, when I came out of Mesopotamia of Syria, Rachel, your mother, died in the land of Chanaan, as I drew night to the horse-course of Chabratha of the land [of Chanaan], so as to come to Ephratha; and I buried her in the road of the course; this is Bethlehem.

8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”

And when Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he said, Who are these to you?

9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.”

And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God gave me here; and Jacob said, Bring me them, that I may bless them.

10 Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

Now the eyes of Israel were dim through age, and he could not see; and he brought them near to him, and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11 “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”

And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I have not been deprived of [seeing] your face, and behold! God has showed me your seed also.

12 Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.

And Joseph brought them out from [between] his knees, and they did reverence to him, with their face to the ground.

13 And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him.

And Joseph took his two sons, both Ephraim in his right hand, but on the left of Israel, and Manasse on his left hand, but on the right of Israel, and brought them near to him.

14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

But Israel having stretched out his right hand, laid it on the head of Ephraim, and he was the younger; and his left hand on the head of Manasse, [guiding] his hands crosswise.

15 Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

And he blessed them and said, The God in whose sight my fathers were well pleasing, [even] Abraam and Isaac, the God who continues to feed me from my youth until this day;

16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”

the angel who delivers me from all evils, bless these boys, and my name shall be called upon them, and the name of my fathers, Abraam and Isaac; and let them be increased to a great multitude on the earth.

17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s.

And Joseph having seen that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim—it seemed grievous to him; and Joseph took hold of the hand of his father, to remove it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasse.

18 “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

And Joseph said to his father, Not so, father; for this is the firstborn; lay your right-hand upon his head.

19 But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”

And he would not, but said, I know it, son, I know it; he also shall be a people, and he shall be exalted, but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20 So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

And he blessed them in that day, saying, In you shall Israel be blessed, saying, God make you as Ephraim and Manasse; and he set Ephraim before Manasse.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die; and God shall be with you, and restore you to the land of your fathers.

22 And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

And I give to you Sicima, a select portion above your brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow.