< Genesis 48 >
1 And it came about after these things that someone said to Joseph, "Look, your father is sick." And taking with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, he went to Jacob.
And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph: 'Behold, thy father is sick.' And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And someone reported to Jacob, and said, "Look, your son Joseph has come to you." Then Israel strengthened himself and sat up in the bed.
And one told Jacob, and said: 'Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee.' And Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
3 And Jacob said to Joseph, "El Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,
And Jacob said unto Joseph: 'God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 and said to me, 'Look, 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 descendants after you as an everlasting possession.'
and said unto 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.
5 And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, 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, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.
6 And your offspring born to you after them will be yours. But in their inheritance they are to be called after the names of their brothers.
And thy issue, that thou begettest after them, shall be thine; they shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
7 But as for me, when I came from Paddan Aram, Rachel died, in my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."
And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some way to come unto Ephrath; and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath — the same is Beth-lehem.'
8 Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?"
And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said: 'Who are these?'
9 And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." And he said, "Please bring them to me, so that I can bless them."
And Joseph said unto his father: 'They are my sons, whom God hath given me here.' And he said: 'Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.'
10 Now the eyes of Israel were failing because of his age, so that he couldn't see. Then he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that 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 did not expect to see your face, but look, God has let me see your offspring as well."
And Israel said unto Joseph: 'I had not thought to see thy face; and, lo, God hath let me see thy seed also.'
12 Then Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground.
And Joseph brought them out from between his knees; and he fell down on 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.
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 unto him.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
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 wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born.
15 Then he blessed Joseph, and said, "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 Joseph, and said: 'The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath been my shepherd all my life long unto this day,
16 the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys. And may my name be carried on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. And may they grow into a multitude upon the earth."
the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'
17 When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he grasped his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
And when Joseph saw that his father was laying 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 unto Manasseh's head.
18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. 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 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 descendants will become a multitude of nations."
And his father refused, and said: 'I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.'
20 So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, 'God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.'" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
And he blessed them that day, saying: 'By thee shall Israel bless, saying: God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh.' And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and God will bring you back from this land to the land of your fathers.
And Israel said unto Joseph: 'Behold, I die; but God will be with you, and bring you back unto the land of your fathers.
22 Moreover, I give to you one portion more than your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow."
Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.'