< Genesis 48 >

1 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.
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 And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the 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 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
And Jacob said to Joseph, My God appeared to me in Luza, in the land of Chanaan, and blessed me,
4 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.
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 thy two sons, which 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.
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 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine; they shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
And the children which you shall beget hereafter, shall be in the name of their brethren; they shall be named after their inheritances.
7 And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by 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).
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 And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these?
And when Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he said, Who are these to you?
9 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.
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 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.
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 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath let me see thy seed also.
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 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
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 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.
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 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 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 And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which hath fed me all my life long unto 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 which hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of 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 And when Joseph saw that his father laid 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.
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 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
And Joseph said to his father, Not so, father; for this is the firstborn; lay your right-hand upon his head.
19 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.
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 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set 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 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto 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 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.
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.

< Genesis 48 >