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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Genesis 48

Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

1Some time after this, Joseph was told, “Your father is weaker.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.

3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty # Gn 17:1 appeared to me at Luz # Gn 28:13,19; 35:6,9 in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and numerous; I will make many nations come from you, and I will give this land as an eternal possession # Gn 17:8 to your future descendants.’ # Gn 35:9-12 5Your two sons # Gn 41:50-52; 46:20 born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine. # Jos 13:7; 14:4; 17:17 Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do. 6Children born to you after them will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way, # Gn 35:9-19 some distance from Ephrath in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way to Ephrath,” (that is, Bethlehem).

8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these? ”

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

So Jacob said, “Bring them to me and I will bless them.” # Gn 27:4; 49:25-26; Heb 11:21 10Now his eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly # Lit he was not able to see. # Gn 27:1 Joseph brought them to him, and he kissed and embraced them. # Gn 27:27 11Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, but now God has even let me see your offspring.” 12Then Joseph took them from his father’s knees and bowed with his face to the ground. # Gn 18:2; 24:52; 33:3; 42:6; 43:26; Ex 34:8

Ephraim’s Greater Blessing

13Then Joseph took them both — with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel’s left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel’s right — and brought them to Israel. 14But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and crossing his hands, put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn. # Gn 25:23; 27:18-30 15Then he blessed Joseph and said:

The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, # Gn 17:1; 24:40

the God who has been my shepherd # Gn 49:24; Ps 23:1; Jr 31:10 all my life to this day,

16the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm # Gn 28:13-15; 31:11; Is 63:9; Ac 7:35 —

may He bless these boys.

And may they be called by my name

and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, # Dt 28:10; 2Ch 7:14; Is 4:1; 43:1; 48:1

and may they grow to be numerous within the land.

17When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he thought it was a mistake # Or he was displeased ; lit head, it was bad in his eyes and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s. 18Joseph said to his father, “Not that way, my father! This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know! He too will become a tribe, # Lit people and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation.” # Or a multitude of nations; lit a fullness of nations 20So he blessed them that day with these words:

The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying,

“May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,”

putting Ephraim before Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. # Gn 46:4; 50:24 22Over and above what I am giving your brothers, I am giving you the one mountain slope # Or Shechem, Joseph’s burial place; lit one shoulder that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow.” # Gn 34:25-29; Jos 24:32; Jn 4:5

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Genesis 48

Genesis 48