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.
When 1it was told to Jacob
, "Behold
, your son
Joseph
has come
to you," Israel
2collected
his strength
and sat
3up in the bed
.
Then Jacob said
to Joseph
, " 1 aGod
Almighty
appeared
to me at bLuz
in the land
of Canaan
and blessed
me,
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
.'
"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.
"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
.
"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
)."
When Israel asaw
Joseph's
sons
, he said
, "Who
are these
?"
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."
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.
Israel said
to Joseph
, "I never
1expected
to see
your face
, and behold
, God
has let me see
your 2children
as well
."
Then Joseph 1took
them from his knees
, and abowed
with his face
to the ground
.
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.
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
.
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
,
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
."
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
.
Joseph said
to his father
, "Not so
, my father
, for this
one
is the firstborn
. Place
your right
hand
on his head
."
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
."
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
.
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
.
"I give you one
1portion
more
than
your brothers
, awhich
I took
from the hand
of the Amorite
with my sword
and my bow
."