Genesis 48
1 And so whanne these thingis weren don, it was teld to Joseph, that his fadir was sijk. And he took hise twei sones, Manasses and Effraym, and he disposide to go.
Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And it was seid to the elde man, Lo! thi sone Joseph cometh to thee; which was coumfortid, and sat in the bed.
When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
3 And whanne Joseph entride to hym, he seide, Almyyti God apperide to me in Luza, which is in the lond of Canaan, and blesside me,
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
4 and seide, Y schal encreesse and multiplie thee, and Y schal make thee in to cumpanyes of puplis, and Y schal yyue to thee this lond, and to thi seed aftir thee, in to euerlastinge possessioun.
and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
5 Therfor thi twei sones, that ben borun to thee in the lond of Egipt bifore that Y cam hidir to thee, schulen be myne, Effraym and Manasses as Ruben and Symeon schulen be arettid to me;
And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
6 forsothe the othere whiche thou schalt gendre aftir hem schulen be thine; and thei schulen be clepid bi the name of her britheren in her possessiouns.
Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.
7 Forsothe whanne Y cam fro Mesopotamye, Rachel was deed to me in the lond of Canaan, in thilke weie; and it was the bigynnyng of somer; and Y entride in to Effrata, and beriede hir bisidis the weie of Effrata, which bi anothir name is clepid Bethleem.
Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
8 Forsothe Jacob seiy the sones of Joseph, and seide to him, Who ben these?
When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
9 He answeride, Thei ben my sones, whiche God yaf to me in this place. Jacob seide, Brynge hem to me that Y blesse hem.
Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.”
10 For `the iyen of Israel, dasewiden for greet eelde, and he myyte not se clereli; and he kisside and collide tho children ioyned to hym, and seide to his sone,
Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
11 Y am not defraudid of thi siyt; ferthermore God schewide to me thi seed.
“I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
12 And whanne Joseph hadde take hem fro `the fadris lappe, he worschipide lowe to erthe.
Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
13 And he sette Effraym on his riyt side, that is, on the lift side of Israel; forsothe he settide Manasses in his lift side, that is, on the riyt side of the fadir; and he ioynede bothe to hym.
And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him.
14 Which helde forth the riyt hond, and settide on `the heed of Effraym, the lesse brothir; sotheli he settide the left hond on `the heed of Manasses, that was the more thury birthe. Jacob chaungide `the hondes,
But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 and blesside his sone Joseph, and seide, God, in whos siyt my fadris Abraham and Isaac yeden; God, that fedith me fro my yong wexynge age til in to present day;
Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
16 the aungel that delyuerede me fro alle yuelis, blesse thes children, and my name be clepid on hem, and the names of my fadris Abraham and Ysaac; and wexe thei in multitude on erthe.
the angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
17 Forsothe Joseph seiy that his fadir hadde set the riyt hond on the heed of Effraym, and took heuyli, and he enforside to reise the fadris hond takun fro the heed of Effraym, and to bere `ouer on `the heed of Manasses.
When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s.
18 And he seide to the fadir, Fadir, it acordith not so; for this is the firste gendrid; sette thi riyt hond on the heed `of hym.
“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 Which forsook and seide, Y woot, my sone, Y woot; and sotheli this child schal be in to puplis, and he schal be multiplied; but his yonger brother schal be more than he, and `his seed schal encreesse in to folkis.
But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”
20 And he blesside hem in that tyme, and seide, Israel schal be blessid in thee, Joseph, and it schal be seid, God do to thee as to Effraym and as to Manasses. And he settide Effraym bifore Manasses;
So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 and seide to Joseph, his sone, Lo! Y die, and God schal be with you, and schal lede you ayen to the lond of youre fadris;
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
22 Y yyue to thee o part ouer thi britheren which Y took fro the hand of Amorei, in my swerd and bowe.
And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
