Genesis
Chapter 48: 1-22
Manasseh and Ephraim
1 Some
time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took his two sons
Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2 When
Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel rallied his strength
and sat up on the bed.
3 Jacob
said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and
there he blessed me 4 and said to me, 'I am
going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of
peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after
you.'
5
"Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be
reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours;
in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow
Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from
Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem).
8 When
Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, "Who are these?"
9
"They are the sons God has given me here," Joseph said to his father.
Then Israel said, "Bring them to me so I may
bless them."
10 Now
Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought
his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
11 Israel
said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me
to see your children too."
12 Then
Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right
toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought
them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his
right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms,
he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 Then he
blessed Joseph and said,
"May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life to this day,
16 the
Angel who has delivered me from all harm
—may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
upon the earth."
17 When
Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he
took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18 Joseph said to him, "No, my father, this one
is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."
19 But his
father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he
too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his
descendants will become a group of nations." 20
He blessed them that day and said,
"In your name will Israel pronounce this
blessing:
'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' "
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then
Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take
you back to the land of your fathers. 22
And to you, as one who is over your brothers, I give the ridge of land I took from the
Amorites with my sword and my bow."
