GenesisChapter 48

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¹Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is sick." So Joseph went to see him. He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him. ²Someone told Jacob, "Your son Joseph has come to see you." So Israel gathered his strength and sat up in bed. ³Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan. He blessed me there. ⁴He said to me, 'I will give you many children. I will make your family grow. I will make you into many peoples. I will give this land to your children after you. It will be theirs forever.' ⁵Now your two sons were born to you in Egypt before I came here. They will count as my sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just like Reuben and Simeon are mine. ⁶Any children you have after them will be yours. They will be listed under their brothers' names in the land they receive. ⁷As for me, I was coming back from Paddan. Then to my great sorrow, Rachel died on the way, in the land of Canaan. We were still some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath." (Ephrath is Bethlehem.) ⁸Israel saw Joseph's sons. He asked, "Who are these boys?" ⁹Joseph said to his father, "They are the sons God has given me here." Jacob said, "Please bring them to me so I can bless them." ¹⁰Israel's eyes were weak because he was old. He could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons close to him. His father kissed them and hugged them. ¹¹Israel said to Joseph, "I never thought I would see your face again. But now God has even let me see your children!" ¹²Then Joseph took his sons off his father's knees. He bowed down with his face to the ground. ¹³Joseph took both boys and brought them close to Israel. He held Ephraim with his right hand, toward Israel's left hand. He held Manasseh with his left hand, toward Israel's right hand. ¹⁴But Israel reached out his right hand. He put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger son. He crossed his arms and put his left hand on Manasseh's head. He did this even though Manasseh was the firstborn. ¹⁵Then he blessed Joseph. He said,
"My fathers Abraham and Isaac walked before God.
God has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day. ¹⁶He is the angel who has redeemed me from all harm.
May he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name,
and by the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.
May they grow into a huge crowd of people on the earth." ¹⁷Joseph saw that his father had put his right hand on Ephraim's head. This upset him. So he took hold of his father's hand. He tried to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. ¹⁸Joseph said, "No, my father! This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head." ¹⁹But his father would not do it. He said, "I know, my son, I know! He will also become a people. He will be great too. But his younger brother will be greater than he is. His children will become many nations." ²⁰So that day Jacob blessed them. He said,
"The people of Israel will use your names to bless others.
They will say, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'"
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. ²¹Then Israel said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die. But God will be with you. He will bring you back to the land of your fathers. ²²You are above your brothers. So I give you the ridge of land I took from the Amorites. I took it with my sword and my bow."a