Genesis 48

1 Now after these things, word came to Joseph that his father was ill: and he took with him his sons Manasseh and Ephraim.

And it came to pass after these things, that some one said to Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick; and he took his two sons with him, Menasseh and Ephraim.

2 And when they said to Jacob, Your son Joseph is coming to see you: then Israel, getting all his strength together, had himself lifted up in his bed.

And some one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph is coming unto thee; and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

3 And Jacob said to Joseph, God, the Ruler of all, came to me in a vision at Luz in the land of Canaan, and gave me his blessing,

And Jacob said unto Joseph, God, the Almighty, appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

4 And said to me, Truly, I will make you fertile and give you increase and will make of you a great family of nations: and I will give this land to your seed after you to be their heritage for ever.

And he said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

5 And now your two sons who came to birth in Egypt before I came to you here, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, in the same way as Reuben and Simeon are.

And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Menasseh shall be unto me as Reuben and Simeon.

6 And any other offspring which you have after them, will be yours, and will be named after their brothers in their heritage.

And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, after the name of their brothers shall they be called in their inheritance.

7 And as for me, when I came from Paddan, death overtook Rachel on the way, when we were still some distance from Ephrath; and I put her to rest there on the road to Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem.

And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan on the way, when yet there was some distance to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there on the way of Ephrath, the same is Beth-lechem.

8 Then Israel, looking at Joseph's sons, said, Who are these?

And Israel perceived the sons of Joseph, and said, Who are these?

9 And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this land. And he said, Let them come near me, and I will give them a blessing.

And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

10 Now because Israel was old, his eyes were no longer clear, and he was not able to see. So he made them come near to him, and he gave them a kiss, folding them in his arms.

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

11 And Israel said to Joseph, I had no hope of seeing your face again, but God in his mercy has let me see you and your children.

And Israel said unto Joseph, To see thy face I had not hoped; and lo, God hath shown me also thy seed.

12 Then Joseph took them from between his knees, and went down on his face to the earth.

And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13 Then taking Ephraim with his right hand, Joseph put him at Israel's left side, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Israel's right side, placing them near him.

And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left, and Menasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them near unto him.

14 And Israel, stretching out his right hand, put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands on purpose, for Manasseh was the older.

And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Menasseh's head; he laid his hands wittingly; although Menasseh was the first-born.

15 And he gave Joseph a blessing, saying, May the God to whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, gave worship, the God who has taken care of me all my life till this day,

And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who fed me from my first being unto this day,

16 The angel who has been my saviour from all evil, send his blessing on these children: and let my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, be given to them; and let them become a great nation in the earth.

The angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be called on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17 Now when Joseph saw that his father had put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it did not seem right to him; and lifting his father's hand he would have put it on the head of Manasseh.

And when Joseph saw that his father would lay his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he took hold of his father's hand, to remove it from the head of Ephraim unto the head of Menasseh.

18 And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father, for this is the older; put your right hand on his head.

And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the first-born, put thy right hand upon his head.

19 But his father would not, saying, I am doing it on purpose, my son; he will certainly become a nation and a great one; but his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a great family of nations.

And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know, he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20 So he gave them his blessing that day, saying, You will be the sign of blessing in Israel, for they will say, May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh; and he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

And he blessed them that day, saying, With thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and Menasseh: and so he set Ephraim before Menasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, Now my death is near; but God will be with you, guiding you back to the land of your fathers.

And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; but God will be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers

22 And I have given you more than your brothers, even Shechem as your heritage, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.

Moreover I have given unto thee one portion above thy brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Emorite with my sword and with my bow.