And it came to pass after these things
, that one told
Joseph
, Behold, thy father
is sick
: and he took
with him his two
sons
, Manasseh
and Ephraim
.
And one told Jacob
, and said
, Behold, thy son
Joseph
cometh
unto thee: and Israel
strengthened
himself, and sat
upon the bed
.
And Jacob said
unto Joseph
, God
Almighty
appeared
unto me at Luz
in the land
of Canaan
, and blessed
me,
And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful
, and multiply
thee, and I will make
of thee a multitude
of people
; and will give
this land
to thy seed
after thee
for an everlasting
possession
.
And now thy two sons
, Ephraim
and Manasseh
, which were born
unto thee in the land
of Egypt
before
I came
unto thee into Egypt
, are mine; as Reuben
and Simeon
, they shall be mine.
And thy issue, which thou begettest
after
them, shall be thine, and shall be called
after
the name
of their brethren
in their inheritance
.
And as for me, when I came from Padan
, Rachel
died
by me in the land
of Canaan
in the way
, when
yet there was but a little
way
to come
unto Ephrath
: and I buried her
there in the way
of Ephrath
; the same is Bethlehem
.
And Israel beheld
Joseph's
sons
, and said
, Who are these?
And Joseph said
unto his father
, They are my sons
, whom God
hath given
me in this place . And he said
, Bring them
, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless
them.
Now the eyes of Israel
were dim
for age
, so that he could
not see
. And he brought them near
unto him; and he kissed
them, and embraced
them.
And Israel said
unto Joseph
, I had not thought
to see
thy face
: and, lo, God
hath shewed
me also thy seed
.
And Joseph brought them out
from between
his knees
, and he bowed
himself with his face
to the earth
.
And 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
unto him.
And Israel stretched out
his right hand
, and laid
it upon Ephraim's
head
, who was the younger
, and his left hand
upon Manasseh's
head
, guiding
his hands
wittingly
; for Manasseh
was the firstborn
.
And he blessed Joseph
, and said
, God
, before
whom my fathers
Abraham
and Isaac
did walk
, the God
which fed
me all my life long
unto this day
,
The Angel which redeemed
me from all evil
, bless
the lads
; and let my name
be named
on them, and the name
of my fathers
Abraham
and Isaac
; and let them grow
into a multitude
in the midst
of the earth
.
And when Joseph saw
that his father
laid
his right
hand
upon the head
of Ephraim
, it displeased
him: and he held up
his father's
hand
, to remove
it from Ephraim's
head
unto Manasseh's
head
.
And Joseph said
unto his father
, Not so, my father
: for this is the firstborn
; put
thy right hand
upon his head
.
And his father refused
, and said
, I know
it , my son
, I know
it : he also shall become a people
, and he also shall be great
: but truly
his younger
brother
shall be greater
than he, and his seed
shall become a multitude
of nations
.
And he blessed them that day
, saying
, In thee shall Israel
bless
, saying
, God
make
thee as Ephraim
and as Manasseh
: and he set
Ephraim
before
Manasseh
.
And Israel said
unto Joseph
, Behold, I die
: but God
shall be with you, and bring you again
unto the land
of your fathers
.
Moreover I have given to thee one
portion
above thy brethren
, which I took
out of the hand
of the Amorite
with my sword
and with my bow
.