Chapter 48

Israel’s Last Days

1 Now it came about after these things that 1Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons aManasseh and Ephraim with him.

2 When 1it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel 2collected his strength and sat 3up in the bed.

3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “1aGod Almighty appeared to me at bLuz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

4 and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your 1descendants after you for aan everlasting possession.’

5 “Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; aEphraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as bReuben and Simeon are.

6 “But your offspring that 1have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the 2names of their brothers in their inheritance.

7 “Now as for me, when I came from aPaddan, bRachel died, 1to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8 When Israel asaw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?”

9 Joseph said to his father, “aThey are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that bI may bless them.”

10 Now athe eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then 1Joseph brought them close to him, and he bkissed them and embraced them.

11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never 1expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your 2children as well.”

12 Then Joseph 1took them from his knees, and abowed with his face to the ground.

13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, 1crossing his hands, 2although aManasseh was the firstborn.

15 He blessed Joseph, and said,

“aThe God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

bThe God who has been my shepherd 1all my life to this day,

16 aThe angel who has redeemed me from all evil,

bBless the lads;

And may my name 1live on in them,

And the 2names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

And cmay they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 When Joseph saw that his father alaid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.

18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”

19 But 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 shall be greater than he, and ahis 1descendants shall become a 2multitude of nations.”

20 aHe blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,

‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’ ”

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but aGod will be with you, and bbring you back to the land of your fathers.

22 “I give you one 1portion more than your brothers, awhich I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”