< Genesis 48 >

1 After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
And it came to pass after these things, that some one said to Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick; and he took his two sons with him, Menasseh and Ephraim.
2 Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.
And some one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph is coming unto thee; and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
And Jacob said unto Joseph, God, the Almighty, appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 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.’
And he said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
5 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, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.
And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Menasseh shall be unto me as Reuben and Simeon.
6 Your offspring, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, after the name of their brothers shall they be called in their inheritance.
7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan 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).”
And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan on the way, when yet there was some distance to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there on the way of Ephrath, the same is Beth-lechem.
8 Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
And Israel perceived the sons of Joseph, and said, Who are these?
9 Joseph 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.”
And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see well. Joseph brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
Now the eyes of Israel were dim through age, he could not see; and he brought them near unto him, and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I did not think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”
And Israel said unto Joseph, To see thy face I had not hoped; and lo, God hath shown me also thy seed.
12 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 he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13 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, and Menasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them near unto him.
14 Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for 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 Menasseh's head; he laid his hands wittingly; although Menasseh was the first-born.
15 He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who fed me from my first being unto this day,
16 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 and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
The angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be called on 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 laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
And when Joseph saw that his father would lay his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he took hold of his father's hand, to remove it from the head of Ephraim unto the head of Menasseh.
18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this 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 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.”
And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know, he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
20 He blessed them that day, saying, “Israel will bless in you, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh.
And he blessed them that day, saying, With thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and Menasseh: and so he set Ephraim before Menasseh.
21 Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; but God will be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers
22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
Moreover I have given unto thee one portion above thy brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Emorite with my sword and with my bow.

< Genesis 48 >