1 It happened after these things, that someone said to Joseph,
“Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and
Ephraim. 2 Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to
you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed. 3 Jacob said to
Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and
blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and
multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this
land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 Now your two
sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into
Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be
mine. 6 Your issue, who you become the father of after them, will be
yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their
inheritance. 7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me in
the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come to
Ephrath, and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath (the same is
Bethlehem).”
8 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
here.”
He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” 10 Now the eyes
of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see. He brought them near to
him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I
didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed
also.” 12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed
himself with his face to the earth. 13 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 to him. 14 Israel
stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the
younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly,
for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God
before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who has fed me all
my life long to this day, 16 the angel who has 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. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the
earth.”
17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of
Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up 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 is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 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 will
be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations.”
20 He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel bless, saying,
‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you,
and bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given
to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the
Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
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