1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. 3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. 7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Beth-lehem.

8 And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these? 9 And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. 12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 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 unto him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on 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 when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy 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 thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

1 Pärast seda sündmust öeldi Joosepile: „Vaata, su isa on haige!" Siis ta võttis oma kaks poega enesega, Manasse ja Efraimi.

2 Ja Jaakobile anti teada ning öeldi: „Näe, su poeg Joosep tuleb sinu juurde!" Iisrael võttis siis jõu kokku ning tõusis voodis istukile.

3 Ja Jaakob ütles Joosepile: „Kõigeväeline Jumal ilmutas ennast mulle Luusis Kaananimaal, ja õnnistas mind

4 ning ütles mulle: vaata, ma teen sind viljakaks ja paljuks ja teen sinust rahvaste hulga ja annan selle maa sinu soole pärast sind igaveseks omandiks!

5 Ja nüüd olgu su kaks poega, kes sulle Egiptusemaal on sündinud, enne kui ma tulin sinu juurde Egiptusesse, minu omad: Efraim ja Manasse olgu minu omad nagu Ruuben ja Siimeongi!

6 Aga su järeltulijad, kes sulle pärast neid sünnivad, olgu sinu päralt ja neid nimetatagu nende vendade nimede järgi nende pärisosades.

7 Kui ma Mesopotaamiast tulin, suri mul Raahel Kaananimaal, tee peal, kui veel tükk maad oli minna Efratasse. Ja ma matsin tema Efrata tee äärde, see on Petlemma."

8 Kui Iisrael nägi Joosepi poegi, siis ta küsis: „Kes need on?"

9 Ja Joosep vastas oma isale: „Need on mu pojad, keda Jumal mulle siin on andnud!" Siis ta ütles: „Too nad minu juurde, et ma neid õnnistaksin!"

10 Aga Iisraeli silmad olid vanadusest tuhmid ja ta ei näinud enam. Siis Joosep viis nad tema juurde ja tema andis neile suud ning süleles neid.

11 Ja Iisrael ütles Joosepile: „Ei oleks uskunud, et saan näha su nägu, aga vaata, Jumal on mind lasknud näha ka su järglasi!"

12 Siis Joosep võttis nad ära tema põlvilt ja kummardas silmili maha.

13 Ja Joosep võttis nad mõlemad, Efraimi oma paremale käele, Iisraelist vasakule poole, ja Manasse oma vasakule käele, Iisraelist paremale poole, ja viis nad tema juurde.

14 Aga Iisrael sirutas oma parema käe ja pani Efraimi pea peale, kes oli noorem, ja oma vasaku käe Manasse pea peale; ta pani oma käed ristamisi, sest Manasse oli esmasündinu.

15 Ja ta õnnistas Joosepit ning ütles: „Jumal, Kelle palge ees mu isad Aabraham ja Iisak on rännanud, Jumal, Kes on olnud mu karjane kogu mu elu kuni tänapäevani,

16 Ingel, Kes mind on päästnud kõigest kurjast, õnnistagu neid poisse; neid nimetades nimetatagu minu nime ja mu isade Aabrahami ja Iisaki nime! Ja nad siginegu rohkesti keset maad!"

17 Aga kui Joosep nägi, et ta isa oma parema käe asetas Efraimi pea peale, siis ta pani seda pahaks ja haaras kinni oma isa käest, et seda Efraimi pea pealt tõsta Manasse pea peale.

18 Ja Joosep ütles oma isale: „Mitte nõnda, mu isa, sest see on mu esmasündinu! Pane oma parem käsi tema pea peale!"

19 Aga ta isa keeldus ja ütles: „Ma tean, mu poeg, ma tean, ka tema peab saama rahvaks ja temagi peab olema suur! Ometi peab ta noorem vend saama temast suuremaks ja selle sugu olema rahvarohke!"

20 Ja ta õnnistas neid sel päeval, öeldes: „Sinu nimel õnnistatagu Iisraelis, öeldagu: Jumal tehku sind Efraimi ja Manasse sarnaseks!" Nõnda seadis ta Efraimi Manassest ettepoole.

21 Ja Iisrael ütles Joosepile: „Vaata, ma suren, aga Jumal on teiega ja viib teid tagasi teie isade maale.

22 Ja ma annan sulle ühe mäeseljandiku rohkem kui su vendadele, mille olen mõõga ja ammuga võtnud emorlastelt!"