Genesis 48

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

2. And one spoke to Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you.” And Israel strengthened himself and sat upon the bed.

3. And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.

4. And He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you. And I will make of you a multitude of people, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.’

5. And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who are born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine. Like Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

6. And your offspring which you beget after them shall be yours, and shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

7. And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still but a little way to come to Ephrath. And I buried her there in the way of Ephrath, that is Bethlehem.”

8. And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”

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

10. And the eyes of Israel were dim for age; he could not see. And he brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

11. And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought I would see your face, and, lo, God showed me also your offspring.”

12. And Joseph brought them out from between his father’s knees, To place a child upon or between the knees was a symbol of adoption. and he bowed his face to the earth.

13. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh in his left toward Israel’s right hand. And he brought them near to him.

14. And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left upon Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15. And he blessed Joseph and said, “May God, before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God Who fed me all my life to this day,

16. The Angel Who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. And let my name be perpetuated in 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 Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, and it displeased him. And he held up his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.

18. And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your 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 you shall Israel bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’ ” And he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21. And Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I die. But God shall be with you, and bring you again into the land of your fathers.

22. And I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”