Genesis 48
1 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with 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 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in 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 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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).
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 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
Israel [God prevails] saw Joseph [May he add]’s sons, and said, “Whose are these?”
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.”
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 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 [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 “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
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 Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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,
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 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 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 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.
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 “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on 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 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.”
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.”
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.”
