Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons
1 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your fatherissick”; and he took with him his two sons,Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.
3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: “GodAlmighty appeared to me atLuz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,
4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I willmake you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, andgive this land to your descendants after youasan everlasting possession.’
5 And now yourtwo sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt,aremine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
6 Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
7 But as for me, when I came from Padan,Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, whentherewasbut a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
8 Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Whoarethese?”
9 And Joseph said to his father, “Theyaremy sons, whom God has given me in thisplace.”
# And he said, “Please bring them to me, andI will bless them.”
10 Nowthe eyes of Israel were dim with age,sothathe could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and hekissed them and embraced them.
11 And Israel said to Joseph,“I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”
12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth.
13 And 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 broughtthemnear him.
14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand andlaiditon Ephraim’s head, whowasthe younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head,guiding his hands knowingly, for Manassehwasthefirstborn.
15 Andhe blessed Joseph, and said:
# “God,before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 The Angelwho has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
# Letmy name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
# And let themgrow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 Now when Joseph saw that his fatherlaid 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.
18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for thisoneisthe firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said,“I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but trulyhis younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”
20 So he blessed them that day, saying,“By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, butGod will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
22 MoreoverI have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the handof the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”