1 Now after these things, word came to Joseph that his father was ill: and he took with him his sons Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And when they said to Jacob, Your son Joseph is coming to see you: then Israel, getting all his strength together, had himself lifted up in his bed.
3 And Jacob said to Joseph, God, the Ruler of all, came to me in a vision at Luz in the land of Canaan, and gave me his blessing,
4 And said to me, Truly, I will make you fertile and give you increase and will make of you a great family of nations: and I will give this land to your seed after you to be their heritage for ever.
5 And now your two sons who came to birth in Egypt before I came to you here, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, in the same way as Reuben and Simeon are.
6 And any other offspring which you have after them, will be yours, and will be named after their brothers in their heritage.
7 And as for me, when I came from Paddan, death overtook Rachel on the way, when we were still some distance from Ephrath; and I put her to rest there on the road to Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem.
8 Then Israel, looking at Joseph's sons, said, Who are these?
9 And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this land. And he said, Let them come near me, and I will give them a blessing.
10 Now because Israel was old, his eyes were no longer clear, and he was not able to see. So he made them come near to him, and he gave them a kiss, folding them in his arms.
11 And Israel said to Joseph, I had no hope of seeing your face again, but God in his mercy has let me see you and your children.
12 Then Joseph took them from between his knees, and went down on his face to the earth.
13 Then taking Ephraim with his right hand, Joseph put him at Israel's left side, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Israel's right side, placing them near him.
14 And Israel, stretching out his right hand, put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands on purpose, for Manasseh was the older.
15 And he gave Joseph a blessing, saying, May the God to whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, gave worship, the God who has taken care of me all my life till this day,
16 The angel who has been my saviour from all evil, send his blessing on these children: and let my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, be given to them; and let them become a great nation in the earth.
17 Now when Joseph saw that his father had put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it did not seem right to him; and lifting his father's hand he would have put it on the head of Manasseh.
18 And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father, for this is the older; put your right hand on his head.
19 But his father would not, saying, I am doing it on purpose, my son; he will certainly become a nation and a great one; but his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a great family of nations.
20 So he gave them his blessing that day, saying, You will be the sign of blessing in Israel, for they will say, May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh; and he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, Now my death is near; but God will be with you, guiding you back to the land of your fathers.
22 And I have given you more than your brothers, even Shechem as your heritage, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.
1 这些事以后， 有人对约瑟说： "你的父亲病了。"约瑟就带着两个儿子玛拿西和以法莲同去。
2 有人告诉雅各， 说： "你的儿子约瑟到你这里来了。"以色列就勉强在床上坐起来。
3 雅各对约瑟说： "全能的 神曾经在迦南地的路斯向我显现， 赐福给我，
4 对我说： ‘我必使你繁殖增多， 成为一大族； 我必把这地赐给你的后裔， 作永远的产业。’
5 我未到埃及见你之前， 你在埃及地生了两个儿子， 现在他们算是我的； 以法莲和玛拿西是我的， 好像流本和西缅是我的一样。
6 你在他们以后所生的子孙， 都是你的； 不过， 在继承产业的事上， 他们可以归在他们哥哥的名下。
7 至于我， 我从巴旦回来的时候， 在迦南地的路上， 那里到以法他还有一段路程， 拉结就死在我身边； 我在那里把她埋葬在以法他的路旁。以法他就是伯利恒。"
8 以色列看见约瑟的儿子， 就问： "他们是谁？"
9 约瑟回答父亲： "他们是我的儿子， 是 神在这里赐给我的。"以色列说： "把他们领到我这里来， 我要给他们祝福。"
10 以色列因为年老， 眼睛昏花， 看不清楚。约瑟领他们到他跟前去， 他就与他们亲嘴， 拥抱他们。
11 以色列对约瑟说： "我想不到可以看见你的面， 现在 神竟使我见到你的后裔。"
12 约瑟把两个儿子从以色列膝上抱下来， 自己脸伏在地下拜。
13 约瑟领着他们两个到以色列的跟前， 以法莲在约瑟的右边对着以色列的左边； 玛拿西在约瑟的左边对着以色列的右边。
14 但是， 以色列两手交叉， 右手按在次子以法莲的头上， 左手按在长子玛拿西的头上。
15 要祝福约瑟， 说： "愿我祖亚伯拉罕和以撒所侍候的 神， 一生牧养我直到今日的 神，
16 那救我脱离一切祸患的使者， 赐福给这两个童子。愿我的名， 我祖亚伯拉罕和以撒的名， 借着他们得以流传； 愿他们在地上生养众多。"
17 约瑟见他父亲把右手按在以法莲的头上， 心里就不高兴， 于是拿住他父亲的手， 要从以法莲的头上移到玛拿西的头上。
18 约瑟对他父亲说： "爸爸啊， 不是这样， 这个才是长子， 请你把右手按在他的头上。"
19 他父亲却不肯， 说： "我知道， 我儿啊， 我知道， 他也要成为一族， 也要强大； 只是他弟弟比他还要强大， 他的后裔要成为多族。"
20 那一天， 以色列给他们祝福， 说： "以色列人要用你的名祝福人， 说： ‘愿 神使你像以法莲和玛拿西一样。’"于是， 以色列立以法莲在玛拿西之上。
21 以色列又对约瑟说： "看哪， 我快要死了， 但是 神必与你们同在， 必领你们回到你们祖先的土地去。
22 现在我把从前用刀和弓， 从亚摩利人手中夺过来的那块山地赐给你， 使你比众兄弟多得一份。"