Genesis 48

1 Some time later, someone told Joseph, “[Hey, ] your father is ill.” When Joseph heard that, he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to see his father.

And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph, Lo! thy father, is sick. So he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2 When someone told Jacob, “Look, your son Joseph has come to see you!” Jacob sat up on the bed, even though it was difficult for him to do that.

And one told Jacob, and said—Lo! thy son Joseph, coming in unto thee. So Israel strengthened himself, and sat up on the couch.

3 He said to Joseph, “When I was at Luz in Canaan, God Almighty appeared to me. He blessed me

Then said Jacob unto Joseph, GOD Almighty, appeared unto me in Luz in the land of Canaan, —and blessed me;

4 and said to me, ‘I am going to enable you to become the father of many children. You will have many descendants, and they will become [the ancestors of] many people-groups. And I will give this land to your descendants to possess forever.’

and said unto me—Behold me! about to make thee fruitful, so will I multiply thee, and give thee to become a multitude of peoples, —so will I give this land to thy seed after thee, as an age-abiding possession.

5 “And now I will consider that your two sons, who were born to you here in Egypt before I came here, will (belong to me/be as though they are my sons). Ephraim and Manasseh will be [as though they were] my sons, and they will inherit my possessions, just like my sons Reuben and Simeon [and the others] will.

Now, therefore thy two sons who were born to thee in the land of Egypt, before I came in unto thee in Egypt, are mine! Ephraim and Manasseh, like Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine!

6 If you later become the father of any more children, they will not be considered to be my children, but as my grandchildren, and [in Canaan] they will receive as part of what they inherit some of the same land that is in the territory that their brothers [Ephraim and Manasseh] will inherit.

But thine offspring which thou hast begotten after them, thine own shall they be, —after the name of their brethren, shall they be called in their inheritance.

7 Many years ago, as I was returning from Paddan-Aram/Mesopotamia, your mother Rachel died in the Canaan region, while we were still traveling, not far from Ephrath [town]. So I buried her body there alongside the road to Ephrath [which is now called Bethlehem].”

But, as for me, when I came in from Padan, Rachel died by me, in the land of Canaan, in the way, while yet there was a stretch of country to come into Ephrath, —so I buried her there in the way to Ephrath, the same, is Bethlehem.

8 When Jacob saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these boys?”

Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, —and said—Who are these?

9 Joseph replied, “They are the sons that God has given to me here in Egypt.” Jacob said, “Bring them close to me so that I can bless them.”

And Joseph said unto his father, My sons, they are, whom God hath given me, in this place. And he said—Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, that I may bless them.

10 Jacob was almost blind because he was very old. He could not recognize the boys. So Joseph brought his sons close to his father, and Jacob kissed them and hugged them.

Now, the eyes of Israel, had become dim from old age, —he could not see, —so he drew them near unto him, and kissed them, and embraced them.

11 Jacob said to Joseph, “I did not expect to see you again, but look at this! God has allowed me to see not only you, but he has allowed me to see your children, too!”

And Israel said unto Joseph, To see thine own face, had I not thought, —and lo! God hath caused me to see even thy seed!

12 Joseph took the boys from alongside Jacob’s knees. Then he bowed down with his face to the ground.

And Joseph brought them out from beside his knees, and bowed himself down with his face towards the earth.

13 Then Joseph took both of the boys, putting Ephraim on his right side toward Jacob’s left hand, and putting Manasseh on his left side toward Jacob’s right hand, and brought them close to Jacob.

And Joseph took them both, —Ephraim in his right hand on Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand, on Israel’s right hand, and drew them near unto him.

14 But Jacob [did not do what Joseph wanted him to do. Instead], he reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, even though he was the younger son. He crossed his arms and put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the older son.

Then Israel put forth his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, though, he, was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh, —crossing his hands, although, Manasseh, was the first-born.

15 Then he (blessed/asked God to bless) Joseph and his sons, saying, “My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac conducted their lives as God desired, and to this very day God has led me and taken care of me as a shepherd leads and cares for his sheep [MET].

Thus blessed he Joseph, and said, —God himself—before whom walked my fathers. Abraham and Isaac, God himself—who hath been my shepherd, since I came into being until this day; —

16 The angel whom he sent has kept me from being harmed in any way. I pray that God will bless these boys. I pray that people will never forget about me and about Abraham and Isaac because of what God does for these boys. I pray that they will have many descendants who will live all over the earth.”

The Messenger—who hath been my redeemer from all evil—bless the lads! And may there be called upon them, my name, and the name of my fathers. Abraham and Isaac; And may they swarm into a multitude, in the midst of the earth!

17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head and not on Manasseh’s head, he was distressed/displeased. So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.

And Joseph saw that his father had laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim and it was displeasing in his eyes, —so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from off the head of Ephraim, on to the head of Manasseh.

18 Joseph said to him, “My father, that is not right! The one on whom you put your left hand is my older son. Put your right hand on his head.”

And Joseph said unto his father—Not so, my father! for, this, is the firstborn, lay thy right hand upon his head.

19 But his father refused, saying, “I know that, my son, I know what I am doing. Manasseh’s descendants will also become a people-group, and they will become important. But his younger brother’s descendants will become greater than his will. His descendants will become several nations.”

And his father refused, and said—I know—my son, I know! He also, shall become a people, and he also, shall become great, —but nevertheless, his younger brother, shall become greater than he, and his seed, shall become a filling up of the nations.

20 So he blessed them both on that day, saying, “The people in Israel will use your names when they bless people. They will say, ‘We pray that God will help you as he helped Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In that way, Jacob said that Ephraim would become more important than Manasseh.

And he blessed them on that day, saying—In thee, let Israel bless himself saying, God set thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh! So he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I am about to die. But I know that God will help/protect you. And some day he will take your descendants back to the land of their ancestors.

And Israel said unto Joseph: Lo! I, am about to die, —but it shall come to pass that, God will be with you, and will take you back into the land of your fathers.

22 And it is to you, not to your brothers, that I will give the fertile hill in the Shechem area. I captured that land from the Amor people-group, fighting them with my sword and my bow and arrows.”

But, I, have given to thee one mountain-track above thy brethren, —which I took out of the hand of the Amorite, with my sword and with my bow.