Genesis 48

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons

1 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, "Indeed your father is sick"; and he took with him his two sons, *Gen. 41:51, 56; 46:20; 50:23; Josh. 14:4Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And Jacob was told, "Look, your son Joseph is coming to you"; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: "God *Gen. 43:14; 49:25Almighty appeared to me at *Gen. 28:13, 19; 35:6, 9Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will *Gen. 46:3make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and *Gen. 35:12; Ex. 6:8give this land to your descendants after you *Gen. 17:8as an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your *Gen. 41:50; 46:20; 48:8; Josh. 13:7; 14:4two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 But as for me, when I came from Padan, *Gen. 35:9, 16, 19, 20Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when therewas but a little 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 in this place."

And he said, "Please bring them to me, and *Gen. 27:4; 47:15I will bless them." 10 Now *Gen. 27:1; 1 Sam. 3:2the eyes of Israel were dim with age, sothat he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he *Gen. 27:27; 45:15; 50:1kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, *Gen. 45:26"I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!"

12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and *Matt. 19:15; Mark 10:16laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, *Gen. 48:19guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the *Gen. 41:51, 52; Josh. 17:1firstborn. 15 And *Gen. 47:7, 10; 49:24; (Heb. 11:21)he blessed Joseph, and said:

"God, *Gen. 17:1; 24:40; 2 Kin. 20:3before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,

16 The Angel *Gen. 22:11, 15–18; 28:13–15; 31:11; (Ps. 34:22; 121:7)who has redeemed me from all evil,

Bless the lads;

Let *Amos 9:12; Acts 15:17my name be named upon them,

And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

And let them *Num. 26:34, 37grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

17 Now when Joseph saw that his father *Gen. 48:14laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of 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 oneis the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

19 But his father refused and said, *Gen. 48:14"I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly *Num. 1:33, 35; Deut. 33:17his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

20 So he blessed them that day, saying, *Ruth 4:11, 12"By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ " And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but *Gen. 28:15; 46:4; 50:24God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover *Gen. 14:7; Josh. 24:32; John 4:5I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand *Gen. 34:28of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."