Genesis 48:1-14 ▼

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

2 And someone told, Jacob and said, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you.” And Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.

3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “El-Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and He blessed me

4 and He said to me, ‘Behold, I am making you fruitful, and I will multiply you, and I will give you to be an assembly of peoples, and I will give this land to your seed after you as an everlasting possession.’

5 And now, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before my coming to you in Egypt, they are mine: Ephraim and Manasseh; like Reuben and like Simeon, they shall be mine.

6 And your offspring, whom you beget after them, shall be yours. By the name of their brothers they will be called in their inheritance.

7 And I, when I was coming from Paddan, Rachel died upon me in the land of Canaan, on the way, when there was a distance of land to go to to Ephrathah. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, in Bethlehem).

8 And Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said, “Who are these?”

9 And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given to me in this place.” And he said, “Bring them, please, to me, and I will bless them.”

10 And the eyes of Israel were heavy from old age; he was not able to see. And he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and he embraced them.

11 And Israel said to Joseph, “To see your face I had not expected, and behold, God has shown me also your seed.”

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

13 And Joseph took the two of them: Ephraim in his right hand, from the left of Israel, and Manasseh in his left hand, from the right of Israel, and he brought them near to him.

14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and set it on the head of Ephraim—and he was the younger—and his left hand on the head of Manasseh; he acted wisely with his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn.