ULT GEN Chapter 48

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons Ephraim and Manasseh

48:1-22

48 Then it happened after those things that someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And someone announced to Jacob and said, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel gathered his strength and sat up on the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and he blessed me 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I am making you fruitful, and I will multiply you and make you into a community of peoples. And I will give this land to your offspring after you as an everlasting possession.’

5 “And now, your two sons, who were born for you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they are mine, Ephraim and Manasseh, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 But your children whom you father after them will be yours. They will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 And I, as I was coming from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, while there was still a distance of land to go to Ephrath. And I buried her there beside the road of Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.”

8 Then Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said, “Who are these?” 9 And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons whom God has given to me in this place.” Then he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were heavy from age, so that he was not able to see. So he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I did not expect to see your face, but behold, God has let me see also your offspring!” 12 Then Joseph removed them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his nose to the ground.

13 Then Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right, and brought them near to him. 14 But Israel extended his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, and he was the younger, and he placed his left hand on the head of Manasseh. He guided his hands, because Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked before,

the God who has been shepherding me from since I was born until this day,

16 the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil,

may he bless these boys,

and may my name be called in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,

and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 And Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it was displeasing in his eyes, so he took hold of the hand of his father to move it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, because that one is the firstborn son. Put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He will also become a people, and he will also be great. Nevertheless his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.” 20 And he blessed them on that day, saying,

“By you Israel will bless people, saying,

‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’ ”

So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, and God will be with you, and he will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And I give you Shechem, one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”