Genesis 48

1And it came to pass after these things, that [one] told Yosef, Behold, youri father [is] sick: and he took with him his two sons, M’nasheh (causing to forget; from a debt) and Efrayim (Out of the Ashes I am Fruitful; fruitful in affliction).

2And [one] told Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of), and said, Behold, youri son Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) comes unto youi: and Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

3And Ya’akov said unto Yosef, El-Shaddai [Almighty God the Creator] appeared unto me at Luz [Almond Tree] (almond tree) in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues), and Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) me,

4And said unto me, Behold, I will make youi fruitful, and multiply youi, and I will make of youi a multitude of people; and will give this land to youri seed after youi [for] an everlasting possession.

5And now youri two sons, Efrayim (Out of the Ashes I am Fruitful; fruitful in affliction) and M’nasheh (causing to forget; from a debt), which were born unto youi in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land) before I came unto youi into Mitzrayim [Egypt], [are] my; as Re’uven (behold a son) and Shim’on (heard; he who hears; man of hearing), they shall be my.

6And youri issue (what comes forth) [children], which youi father after them, shall be yoursi, [and] shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

7And as for me, when I came from Paddan (a plain; a field), Rachel (ewe) died by me in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues) in the way, when yet [there was] but a little way to come unto Efrat (ash-heap: place of fruitfulness): and I buried her there in the way of Efrat; the same [is] Beit-Lechem (House of Bread emphasizing: House of Battle).

8And Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) beheld Yosef’s (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) sons, and said, Who [are] these?

9And Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) said unto his father, They [are] my sons, whom God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] has given me in this [place]. And he said, Bring them, I pray youi, unto me, and I will bless them.

10Now the eyes of Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) were dim for age, [so that] he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11And Isra’el said unto Yosef, I had not thought to see youri face: and, lo, God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] has showed me also youri seed.

12And Yosef brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13And Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) took them both, Efrayim (Out of the Ashes I am Fruitful; fruitful in affliction) in his right hand toward Isra’el’s (he who holds onto God-The Creator) left hand, and M’nasheh (causing to forget; from a debt) in his left hand toward Isra’el’s (he who holds onto God-The Creator) right hand, and brought [them] near unto him.

14And Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) stretched out his right hand, and laid [it] upon Efrayim’s head, who [was] the younger, and his left hand upon M’nasheh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for M’nasheh [was] the firstborn.

15And he Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) Yosef, and said, God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered], before whom my fathers’ Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] and Yitz’chak [Laughter] did walk, the God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] which fed me all my life long unto this day,

16The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] and Yitz’chak [Laughter]; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17And when Yosef saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Efrayim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Efrayim’s head unto M’nasheh’s head.

18And Yosef said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this [is] the firstborn; put youri right hand upon his head.

19And 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.

20And he Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) them that day, saying, In youi shall Isra’el bless, saying, God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] make youi as Efrayim and as M’nasheh: and he set Efrayim before M’nasheh.

21And Isra’el said unto Yosef, Behold, I die: but God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] shall be with you, and bring youf again unto the land of yourf fathers.

22Moreover I have given to youi one portion above youri brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Emori with my sword and with my bow.

Genesis 48

Blessings for Manasseh and Ephraim

1Some time later Joseph learned that his father was very sick. So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to his father. 2When Joseph arrived, someone told Israel, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” Israel was very weak, but he tried hard and sat up in his bed.

3Then Israel said to Joseph, “God All-Powerful appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan. God blessed me there. 4He said to me, ‘I will make you a great family. I will give you many children and you will be a great people. Your family will own this land forever.’ 5Now you have two sons. These two sons were born here in the country of Egypt before I came. Your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, will be like my own sons. They will be like Reuben and Simeon to me. 6So these two boys will be my sons. They will share in everything I own. But if you have other sons, they will be your sons. But they will also be like sons to Ephraim and Manasseh—that is, in the future, they will share in everything that Ephraim and Manasseh own. 7On the trip from Paddan Aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. This made me very sad. We were still traveling toward Ephrath. I buried her there on the road to Ephrath.” (Ephrath is Bethlehem.)

8Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons. Israel said, “Who are these boys?”

9Joseph said to his father, “These are my sons. These are the boys God gave me.”

Israel said, “Bring your sons to me. I will bless them.”

10Israel was old and his eyes were not good. So Joseph brought the boys close to his father. Israel kissed and hugged the boys. 11Then Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again. But look! God has let me see you and your children.”

12Then Joseph took the boys off Israel’s lap, and they bowed down in front of his father. 13Joseph put Ephraim on his right side and Manasseh on his left side. (So Ephraim was on Israel’s left side, and Manasseh was on Israel’s right side.) 14But Israel crossed his hands and put his right hand on the head of the younger boy Ephraim. Then he put his left hand on Manasseh, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. 15And Israel blessed Joseph and said,

“My ancestors, Abraham and Isaac, worshiped our God,

and that God has led me all my life.

16He was the Angel who saved me from all my troubles.

And I pray that he will bless these boys.

Now they will have my name

and the name of our ancestors, Abraham and Isaac.

I pray that they will grow to become great families and nations

on earth.”

17Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on Ephraim’s head. This didn’t make Joseph happy. Joseph took his father’s hand because he wanted to move it from Ephraim’s head and put it on Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to his father, “You have your right hand on the wrong boy. Manasseh is the firstborn. Put your right hand on him.”

19But his father refused and said, “I know, son. I know. Manasseh is the firstborn. He will be great and will be the father of many people. But his younger brother will be greater than he is. And the younger brother’s family will be much larger.”

20So Israel blessed them that day. He said,

“The Israelites will use your names

whenever they bless someone.

They will say, ‘May God make you

like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

In this way Israel made Ephraim greater than Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, my time to die is almost here, but God will still be with you. He will lead you back to the land of your ancestors. 22I have given you one portion more than I gave to your brothers. I gave you the land that I won from the Amorites. I used my sword and bow to take that land.”

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Genesis 48

Genesis 48