Genesis 48
1. And it came to pass after these things, that one told * Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick * : and he took * with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2. And one told * Jacob, and said * , Behold, thy son Joseph cometh * unto thee: and Israel strengthened * himself, and sat * upon the bed.
3. And Jacob said * unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared * unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed * me,
4. And said * unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful * , and multiply * thee, and I will make * of thee a multitude of people; and will give * this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
5. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born * unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came * unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
6. And thy issue, which thou begettest * after them, shall be thine, and shall be called * after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
7. And 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 Bethlehem.
8. And Israel beheld * Joseph's sons, and said * , Who are these?
9. And Joseph said * unto his father,They are my sons, whom God hath given * me in this place. And he said * , Bring them * , I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless * them.
10. Now the eyes of 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.
11. And Israel said * unto Joseph, I had not thought * to see * thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed * me also thy seed.
12. And Joseph brought them out * from between his knees, and he bowed * himself with his face to the earth.
13. And Joseph took * them both,Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near * unto him.
14. And 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.
15. And he blessed * Joseph, and said * , God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk * , the God which fed * me all my life long unto this day,
16. The 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.
17. And 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.
18. And Joseph said * unto his father,Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put * thy right hand upon his head.
19. And 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.
20. And he blessed * them that day, saying * , In thee shall Israel bless * , saying * , God make * thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set * Ephraim before Manasseh.
21. And Israel said * unto Joseph,Behold, I die * : but God shall be with you, and bring you again * unto the land of your fathers.
22. Moreover I have given * to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took * out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
