Genesis 48 — Chapter 48

¹And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, your father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

²And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, your son Joseph comes unto you: and Yashar'el (Israel) strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

³And Jacob said unto Joseph, El Shaddai (God Almighty) appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

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

⁵And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto you in the land of Egypt before I came unto you into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

⁶And your issue, which you begettest after them, shall be yours, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

⁷And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Beth-lehem.

⁸And Yashar'el (Israel) beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these?

⁹And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom Elohim (God) has given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray you, unto me, and I will bless them.

¹⁰Now the eyes of Yashar'el (Israel) 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 Yashar'el (Israel) said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see your face: and, lo, Elohim (God) has shewed me also your seed.

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

¹³And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Yashar'el's (Israel’s) left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Yashar'el's (Israel’s) right hand, and brought them near unto him.

¹⁴And Yashar'el (Israel) stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

¹⁵And he blessed Joseph, and said, Elohim (God), before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the Elohim (God) 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 Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

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

¹⁸And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put your 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 them that day, saying, In you shall Yashar'el (Israel) bless, saying, Elohim (God) make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹And Yashar'el (Israel) said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but Elohim (God) shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

²²Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.