Genesis 48

1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told 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 one told Jacob and said, Behold, thy son Joseph is coming 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, The Almighty God 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 he 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, shall be mine: Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon.

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 family which thou hast begotten after them shall be thine: they shall be called after the name of their brethren 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 Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was yet a certain distance to come to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way 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 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, 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 But the eyes of Israel were heavy from age: he could not see. And he brought them nearer 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 behold, God has let me see also thy seed.

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 his knees, and bowed down 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 But Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid [it] on Ephraim's head — now he was the younger — and his left hand on Manasseh's head; guiding his hands intelligently, 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 that shepherded 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 Angel that redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the land!

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 laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it was evil in his eyes; and he took hold of 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 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 and said, I know, my son, I know: he also will become a people, and he also will be great; but truly his younger brother will be greater than he; and his seed will become the fulness 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 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; and 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 And I have given to thee one tract [of land] above thy brethren, 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.”