1   And it came about after these things that someone said to Joseph, "Look, your father is sick." And taking with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, he went to Jacob. 2   And someone reported to Jacob, and said, "Look, your son Joseph has come to you." Then Israel strengthened himself and sat up in the bed. 3   And Jacob said to Joseph, "El Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4   and said to me, 'Look, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.' 5   And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6   And your offspring born to you after them will be yours. But in their inheritance they are to be called after the names of their brothers. 7   But as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, in my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)." 8   Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, "Who are these?" 9   And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." And he said, "Please bring them to me, so that I can bless them." 10   Now the eyes of Israel were failing because of his age, so that he couldn’t see. Then he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11   And Israel said to Joseph, "I did not expect to see your face, but look, God has let me see your offspring as well." 12   Then Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground. 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 to him. 14   And Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. 15   Then he blessed Joseph, and said, "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 redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys. And may my name be carried on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. And may they grow into a multitude upon the earth." 17   When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18   And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for 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 also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations." 20   So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21   Then Israel said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and God will bring you back from this land to the land of your fathers. 22   Moreover, I give to you one portion more than your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow."

This website is public domain.