48 Some time after that, Yosef (Joseph) was told, “Listen, your father is sick.” So Yosef went to him, taking his two sons with him—Menasheh (Manasseh) and Efrayim (Ephraim). 2 When someone told Ya’akov (Jacob) that Yosef had arrived, he exerted himself and sat up in bed, 3 then he told him, “God the provider appeared to me at Luz in Kena’an (Canaan), and he blessed me[ref] 4 and said to me, ‘Listen, I’ll make you fruitful, and I’ll multiply you and make you into a community of peoples. And I’ll give this land to your descendants after you to be their possession forever.’ 5 “And now, your two sons, who were born for you here in Mitsrayim (Egypt) before I came here, I adopt them as my own—Efrayim and Menasheh—just as Re’uven and Shim’on (Simeon) are mine. 6 Any other children that you father after them will be yours. Their inheritance will only be through their older brothers. 7 As for me, when I was coming into Kena’an from Padan, Rahel (Rachel) died beside on the way when we were still quite some distance from Efrat, and I buried her there beside the road of Efrat (which is Beyt-Lehem (Bethlehem)).”[ref]

8 Then Yisrael (Israel) noticed Yosef’s two sons and asked, “Who are these?”

9 “They are my sons that God has given me here in this place.” Yosef replied to his father.

“Please bring them to me, and I will bless them,” Ya’akov (Jacob) requested. 10 Now Yisrael’s sight was poor in his old age, so he wasn’t able to see much. So Yosef brought them over to him, and Yisrael kissed them and embraced them. 11 “I never expected to see you again” he said to Yosef, “but wow, God has even let me see your children as well.” 12 Then Yosef removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed with his face to the ground.

13 Then Yosef took both of them—Efrayim (Ephraim) on his right toward Yisrael’s left and Menasheh (Manasseh) (the eldest) on his left toward Yisrael’s right—and brought them close to him. 14 But Yisrael intentionally extended his right hand and placed it on the Efrayim’s head (the younger one), and crossing his arms, he placed his left hand on Menasheh’s head. 15 Then he blessed Yosef saying,

“May the god who my grandfather Avraham and my father Yitshak (Isaac) served,

the god who has been shepherding me for my entire life,

16 the messenger who’s turned all harm intended for me into good,

may he bless these young men.

May they be recognised as my descendants,

and as descendants of Avraham and Yitshak,

and grow to increase in number on the earth.

17 Then Yosef (Joseph) noticed that his father had placed his right hand on Efrayim’s (Ephraim’s) head and he was upset about it, so he picked up his father’s hand to move it across to Menasheh’s (Manasseh’s) head, 18 telling his father, “My father, that’s wrong because that one is my oldest son. Put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father pushed back, “I know, my son, I know. Menasheh will also become a people, and he will also be great. Nevertheless his younger brother will be the greater one, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”

20 So Yisrael (Israel) blessed Efrayim and Menasheh that day saying,

“After this, my descendants will bless people by saying,

‘May God make you like Efrayim and like Menasheh.’ ”[ref]

(Notice that he put Efrayim before Menasheh.)

21 Then Yisrael told Yosef, “Listen, I’m about to die, and God will be with you and take you back to the land of your ancestors. 22 I’m giving Shekem to you as an additional inheritance over that of your brothers. I captured it with my sword and my bow from the descendants of Amor and it’s now yours.”