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Genesis 48

48
Genesis 48
Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons
1After this Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” he#48.2 Heb Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3#Gen 28.19; 35.6, 9, 12And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty#48.3 Traditional rendering of Heb El Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and he blessed me 4#Gen 17.8and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers; I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for a perpetual holding.’ 5#Gen 46.20; Josh 13.7; 14.4Therefore your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are now mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6As for the offspring born to you after them, they shall be yours. They shall be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7#Gen 33.18; 35.19, 20For when I came from Paddan, Rachel, alas, died in the land of Canaan on the way, while there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem.”
8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9#Gen 33.5Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10#Gen 27.1, 27Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, and he could not see well. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11#Gen 45.26Israel said to Joseph, “I did not expect to see your face, and here God has let me see your children also.” 12Then Joseph removed them from his father’s knees,#48.12 Heb from his knees and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them near him. 14#v 19But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15#Gen 17.1; Heb 11.21He blessed Joseph and said,
“The God before whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
16 # Gen 28.14; 31.11, 13, 24; 46.3 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the boys,
and in them let my name be perpetuated and the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac,
and let them grow into a multitude on the earth.”
17 # v 14 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, so he took his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father! Since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” 19#v 14; Num 1.33, 35But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20So he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will invoke blessings, saying,
‘God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’ ”
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. 21#Gen 26.3; 28.15; 46.4; 50.24Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your ancestors. 22#Josh 24.32; Jn 4.5I now give to you one portion#48.22 Or mountain slope more than to your brothers, the portion#48.22 Or mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

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Genesis 48: NRSVUE

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