Manasseh and Ephraim

48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraimp along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israelq rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almightya r appeared to me at Luzs in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed met 4 and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers.u I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this landv as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’w

5 “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egyptx before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,y just as Reubenz and Simeona are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan,b b to my sorrowc 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).d

8 When Israele saw the sons of Joseph,f he asked, “Who are these?”

9 “They are the sons God has given me here,”g Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may blessh them.”

10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.i So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed themj and embraced them.k

11 Israell said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,m and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”n

12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s kneeso and bowed down with his face to the ground.p 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand,q and brought them close to him. 14 But Israelr reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,s though he was the younger,t and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.u

15 Then he blessedv Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,w

the God who has been my shepherdx

all my life to this day,

16 the Angely who has delivered me from all harmz

—may he blessa these boys.b

May they be called by my name

and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,c

and may they increase greatly

on the earth.”d

17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hande on Ephraim’s headf he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”g

19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.h Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,i and his descendants will become a group of nations.j” 20 He blessedk them that dayl and said,

“In yourc name will Israelm pronounce this blessing:n

‘May God make you like Ephraimo and Manasseh.p’ ”

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with youd q and take youe back to the land of yourf fathers.r 22 And to you I give one more ridge of landg s than to your brothers,t the ridge I took from the Amorites with my swordu and my bow.”