1 After these things, someone said to Joseph, "Behold, your father is sick." He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 Someone told Jacob, and said, "Behold, your son Joseph comes to you," and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, 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 offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 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, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine. 6 Your offspring, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem)."

8 Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, "Who are these?"

9 Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here."

He said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them." 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see well. Joseph brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, "I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also." 12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 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 Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said,

"The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

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

16 the angel who has 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.

Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth."

17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head."

19 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 offspring will become a multitude of nations." 20 He blessed them that day, saying, "Israel will bless in you, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’" He set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover 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."

1 N hierdie dinge het hulle aan Josef meegedeel: Kyk, u vader is siek. Toe neem hy sy twee seuns, Manasse en Efraim, met hom saam.

2 En hulle het aan Jakob berig gebring en gesê: Kyk, u seun Josef kom na u toe. Daarop het Jakob sy krag versamel en op die bed gaan sit.

3 En Jakob het vir Josef gesê: God, die Almagtige, het aan my verskyn by Lus, in die land Kanaän, en my geseën

4 en vir my gesê: Kyk, Ek sal jou vrugbaar maak en jou vermeerder en jou tot 'n menigte van volke maak, en Ek sal aan jou nageslag n jou hierdie land as ewige besitting gee.

5 Nou dan, jou twee seuns wat vir jou in Egipteland gebore is voordat ek in Egipte na jou gekom het, is myne. Efraim en Manasse sal myne wees net soos Ruben en S¡meon.

6 Maar jou nakomelinge wat jy n hulle verwek het, sal joue wees. Hulle sal na die naam van hulle broers genoem word in die se erfdeel.

7 En toe ek van Paddan gekom het, het Ragel by my gesterwe in die land Kana„n, op die reis toe daar nog 'n kort ent pad was om by Efrat te kom; en ek het haar daar begrawe langs die pad na Efrat, dit is Betlehem.

8 Toe Israel die seuns van Josef sien, sê hy: Wie is dit?

9 En Josef antwoord sy vader: Dit is my seuns wat God my hier gegee het. En hy sê: Bring hulle tog by my, dat ek hulle kan seën.

10 Maar Israel se oë was swaar van ouderdom, hy kon nie sien nie. En toe hy hulle by hom bring, het hy hulle gesoen en hulle omhels.

11 En Israel sê vir Josef: Ek het geen gedagte gehad om jou aangesig te sien nie, en kyk, God het my ook jou nageslag laat sien.

12 Daarop laat Josef hulle van sy knieë af weggaan, en hy buig hom met sy aangesig na die aarde toe.

13 En Josef neem hulle twee Efraim met sy regterhand, links van Israel, en Manasse met sy linkerhand, regs van Israel en hy bring hulle by hom.

14 Toe steek Israel sy regterhand uit en lê dit op die hoof van Efraim, hoewel hy die jongste was, en sy linkerhand op die hoof van Manasse: hy het sy hande oorkruis gehou, want Manasse was die eersgeborene.

15 En hy het Josef geseënen gesê: Die God voor wie se aangesig my vaders Abraham en Isak gewandel het, die God wat my as Herder my lewe lank gelei het tot vandag toe,

16 die Engel wat my uit elke teëspoed verlos het -- mag Hy die seuns seën, en mag deur hulle my naam genoem word en die naam van my vaders Abraham en Isak, en mag hulle vermeerder in die land in menigte.

17 Toe Josef sien dat sy vader sy regterhand op die hoof van Efraim gelê het, was dit verkeerd in sy oë; en hy het die hand van sy vader gegryp om dit van die hoof van Efraim op die hoof van Manasse oor te bring.

18 En Josef sê aan sy vader: Nie so nie, my vader; want hierdie een is die eersgeborene: lê u regterhand op sy hoof.

19 Maar sy vader weier en sê: Ek weet, my seun, ek weet. Hy sal ook 'n volk word, en hy sal ook groot word; nogtans sal sy jongste broer groter wees as hy, en sy nageslag sal 'n menigte van nasies word.

20 So het hy hulle dan die dag geseënen gesê: Met jou sal Israel 'n seën toewens, met die woorde: Mag God jou maak soos Efraim en soos Manasse! So het hy dan Efraim voor Manasse gestel.

21 Daarop sê Israel vir Josef: Kyk, ek gaan sterwe, maar God sal met julle wees, en Hy sal julle terug laat gaan na die land van julle vaders.

22 En ,k gee jou een stuk land bo jou broers, wat ek met my swaard en my boog van die Amoriete afgeneem het.