Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons

48 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, aManasseh and Ephraim. 2 And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel 1strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God bAlmighty appeared to me at cLuz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will dmake you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and egive this land to your descendants after you fas an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your gtwo sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 Your 2offspring 3whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 But as for me, when I came from Padan, hRachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8 Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”

9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.”

And he said, “Please bring them to me, and iI will bless them.” 10 Now jthe eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kkissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, l“I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”

12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and mlaid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, nguiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the ofirstborn. 15 And phe blessed Joseph, and said:

“God, qbefore whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,

16 The Angel rwho has redeemed me from all evil,

Bless the lads;

Let smy name be named upon them,

And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

And let them tgrow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 Now when Joseph saw that his father ulaid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

19 But his father refused and said, v“I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly whis younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

20 So he blessed them that day, saying, x“By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but yGod will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover zI have given to you one 4portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand aof the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”