1Some time later Joseph was told, ‘Your father is ill.’ So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him.2When Jacob was told, ‘Your son Joseph has come to you,’ Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.3Jacob said to Joseph, ‘God Almighty[1] appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me4and said to me, “I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.”5‘Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.6Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.7As I was returning from Paddan,[2] to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath’ (that is, Bethlehem).8When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, ‘Who are these?’9‘They are the sons God has given me here,’ Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, ‘Bring them to me so that I may bless them.’10Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.11Israel said to Joseph, ‘I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.’12Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground.13And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right towards Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left towards Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him.14But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.15Then he blessed Joseph and said, ‘May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,16the Angel who has delivered me from all harm – may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly on the earth.’17When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.18Joseph said to him, ‘No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’19But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’20He blessed them that day and said, ‘In your[3] name will Israel pronounce this blessing: “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” ’ So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.21Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘I am about to die, but God will be with you[4] and take you[5] back to the land of your[6] fathers.22And to you I give one more ridge of land[7] than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.’
Genesis 48
English Standard Version
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
1After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.2And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.3And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[1] appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, (Ge 17:1; Ge 28:13; Ge 28:19; Ge 35:6; Ge 35:9)4and 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.’ (Ge 17:8)5And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. (Ge 41:50; Ge 46:20; Jos 13:7; Jos 14:4; Jos 17:17)6And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.7As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance[2] to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” (Ge 35:9)8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?”9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” (Ge 27:4; Ge 33:5; Ge 49:25; Heb 11:21)10Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. (Ge 27:1; Ge 27:27)11And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” (Ge 37:33; Ge 45:26)12Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.13And 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 him.14And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). (Ge 48:17; Ge 48:19)15And 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 long to this day, (Ge 17:1; Ge 24:40)16the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude[3] in the midst of the earth.” (Ge 28:15; Ge 31:11; Ge 31:13; Ge 31:24; Ex 23:20; Nu 26:34; Nu 26:37; 2Sa 4:9; Ps 34:22; Ps 121:7; Isa 44:22; Isa 49:7; Isa 63:9; Am 9:12; Ac 15:17)17When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. (Ge 48:14)18And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.”19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude[4] of nations.” (Ge 48:17; Nu 1:33; Nu 1:35; Nu 2:19; Nu 2:21; De 33:17)20So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. (Ru 4:11)21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. (Ge 46:4; Ge 50:24)22Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope[5] that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.” (Jos 24:32; Joh 4:5)