Genesis 48
48
Ephraim and Manasseh
1Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” So Israel became stronger and sat up in bed.
3Jacob said to Joseph, “The Mighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan. He blessed me there. 4He said to me, ‘I am going to give you children. I will make your family very large. I will make you a community of nations. And I will give this land to your children after you. It will belong to them forever.’
5“Now then, two sons were born to you in Egypt. It happened before I came to you here. They will be counted as my own sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will belong to me, in the same way that Reuben and Simeon belong to me. 6Any children born to you after them will belong to you. Any territory they receive will come from the land that will be given to Ephraim and Manasseh. 7As I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died. It made me very sad. She died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way. We weren’t very far away from Ephrath. So I buried her body there beside the road to Ephrath.” Ephrath was also called Bethlehem.
8Israel saw Joseph’s sons. He asked, “Who are they?”
9“They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.
Then Israel said, “Bring them to me. I want to give them my blessing.”
10Israel’s eyes were weak because he was old. He couldn’t see very well. So Joseph brought his sons close to him. His father kissed them and hugged them.
11Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought I’d see your face again. But now God has let me see your children too.”
12Then Joseph lifted his sons off Israel’s knees. Joseph bowed down with his face to the ground. 13He placed Ephraim on his right, toward Israel’s left hand. He placed Manasseh on his left, toward Israel’s right hand. Then he brought them close to Israel. 14But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head. He did it even though Ephraim was the younger son. He crossed his arms and put his left hand on Manasseh’s head. He did it even though Manasseh was the older son.
15Then Israel gave Joseph his blessing. He said,
“May God bless these boys.
He is the God of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac.
They walked faithfully with him.
He is the God who has been my shepherd
all my life right up to this day.
16He is the Angel who has saved me from all harm.
May he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name.
May they also be called by the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac.
And may the number of them greatly increase
on the earth.”
17Joseph saw his father putting his right hand on Ephraim’s head. And Joseph didn’t like it. So he took hold of his father’s hand to move it over to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to him, “No, my father. Here’s my older son. Put your right hand on his head.”
19But his father wouldn’t do it. He said, “I know, my son. I know. He too will become a nation. He too will become great. But his younger brother will be greater than he is. His children after him will become a group of nations.” 20On that day, Jacob gave them his blessing. He said,
“The people of Israel will bless others in your name.
They will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ ”
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21Then Israel said to Joseph, “I’m about to die. But God will be with all of you. He’ll take you back to the land of your fathers. 22But to you, Joseph, I am giving more land than your brothers. I’m giving you the land I took from the Amorites. I took it with my sword and bow.”
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Genesis 48: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Genesis 48
48
Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons
1Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, #Gen. 41:51, 56; 46:20; 50:23; Josh. 14:4Manasseh and Ephraim. 2And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. 3Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God #Gen. 43:14; 49:25Almighty appeared to me at #Gen. 28:13, 19; 35:6, 9Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4and said to me, ‘Behold, I will #Gen. 46:3make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and #Gen. 35:12; Ex. 6:8give this land to your descendants after you #Gen. 17:8as an everlasting possession.’ 5And now your #Gen. 41:50; 46:20; 48:8; Josh. 13:7; 14:4two 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. 6Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7But as for me, when I came from Padan, #Gen. 35:9, 16, 19, 20Rachel 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).”
8Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9And 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 #Gen. 27:4; 47:15I will bless them.” 10Now #Gen. 27:1; 1 Sam. 3:2the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he #Gen. 27:27; 45:15; 50:1kissed them and embraced them. 11And Israel said to Joseph, #Gen. 45:26“I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”
12So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. 13And 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. 14Then Israel stretched out his right hand and #Matt. 19:15; Mark 10:16laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, #Gen. 48:19guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the #Gen. 41:51, 52; Josh. 17:1firstborn. 15And #Gen. 47:7, 10; 49:24; (Heb. 11:21)he blessed Joseph, and said:
“God, #Gen. 17:1; 24:40; 2 Kin. 20:3before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16The Angel #Gen. 22:11, 15–18; 28:13–15; 31:11; (Ps. 34:22; 121:7)who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
Let #Amos 9:12; Acts 15:17my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them #Num. 26:34, 37grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17Now when Joseph saw that his father #Gen. 48:14laid 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. 18And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19But his father refused and said, #Gen. 48:14“I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly #Num. 1:33, 35; Deut. 33:17his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”
20So he blessed them that day, saying, #Ruth 4:11, 12“By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but #Gen. 28:15; 46:4; 50:24God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22Moreover #Gen. 14:7; Josh. 24:32; John 4:5I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand #Gen. 34:28of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.