| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1After these things Joseph was told, "Your father is weakening." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. | 1One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, “Your father is failing rapidly.” So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. |
| 2When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has just come to you," Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed. | 2When Joseph arrived, Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” So Jacob gathered his strength and sat up in his bed. |
| 3Jacob said to Joseph, "The sovereign God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. | 3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. |
| 4He said to me, 'I am going to make you fruitful and will multiply you. I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants as an everlasting possession.' | 4He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations. And I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’ |
| 5"Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are. | 5“Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are. |
| 6Any children that you father after them will be yours; they will be listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. | 6But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh. |
| 7But as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died--to my sorrow--in the land of Canaan. It happened along the way, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there on the way to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem). | 7“Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.” |
| 8When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are these?" | 8Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. “Are these your sons?” he asked. |
| 9Joseph said to his father, "They are the sons God has given me in this place." His father said, "Bring them to me so I may bless them." | 9“Yes,” Joseph told him, “these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt.” And Jacob said, “Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them.” |
| 10Now Israel's eyes were failing because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph brought his sons near to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. | 10Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. |
| 11Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see you again, but now God has allowed me to see your children too." | 11Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!” |
| 12So Joseph moved them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. | 12Joseph moved the boys, who were at their grandfather’s knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. |
| 13Joseph positioned them; he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel's left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel's right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father. | 13Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand. |
| 14Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim's head, although he was the younger. Crossing his hands, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, for Manasseh was the firstborn. | 14But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn. |
| 15Then 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 long to this day, | 15Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked— the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day, |
| 16the Angel who has protected me from all harm--bless these boys. May my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. May they grow into a multitude on the earth." | 16the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may he bless these boys. May they preserve my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac. And may their descendants multiply greatly throughout the earth.” |
| 17When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him. So he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. | 17But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. |
| 18Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head." | 18“No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.” |
| 19But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a nation and he too will become great. In spite of this, his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will become a multitude of nations." | 19But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” |
| 20So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you will Israel bless, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. | 20So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. |
| 21Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. | 21Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. |
| 22As one who is above your brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow." | 22And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.” |
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