Genesis 48

Israel’s Last Days

1Now it came about after these things that 1Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons 2Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2When 3it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel 4collected his strength and sat 5up in the bed. 3Then Jacob said to Joseph, “67God Almighty appeared to me at 8Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your 9descendants after you as 10an everlasting possession.’ 5Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; 11Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as 12Reuben and Simeon are. 6But your children that you have fathered after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the 13names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7Now as for me, when I came from 14Paddan, 15Rachel died, 16to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8When Israel 17saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9And Joseph said to his father, “18They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, so that 19I may bless them.” 10Now 20the eyes of Israel were so 21dim from age that he could not see. And 22Joseph brought them close to him, and he 23kissed them and embraced them. 11And Israel said to Joseph, “I never 24expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your 25children as well!” 12Then Joseph 26took them from his knees, and 27bowed with his face to the ground. 13And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14But Israel reached out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although 28Manasseh was the firstborn. 15And he blessed Joseph, and said, “29The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, 30The God who has been my shepherd 31all my life to this day,1632The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, 33Bless the boys; And may my name 34live on in them, And the 35names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And 36may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17When Joseph saw that his father 37placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to move 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. Place your right hand on his head.” 19But 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 shall be greater than he, and 38his 39descendants shall become 40a multitude of nations.” 20So 41he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’” And so he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but 42God will be with you, and 43bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22And I give you one 44portion more than your brothers, 45which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”