Gen 48 | NASB1995 | STEP | Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told , “ Behold , your father is sick .” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

Genesis 48

Israel’s Last Days

1 Now it came about after these things that ^{▼▼ Lit one said to Joseph}Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons ^bManasseh and Ephraim with him. 2 When ^{▼▼ Lit one told Jacob and said}it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel ^{▼▼ Lit strengthened himself}collected his strength and sat ^{▼▼ Lit upon the bed}up in the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, ^{▼▼ Heb El Shaddai
,} ^g“God Almighty appeared to me at ^hLuz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your ^{▼▼ Lit seed}descendants after you for ^jan everlasting possession.’ 5 “Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; ^kEphraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as ^lReuben and Simeon are. 6 “But your offspring that ^{▼▼ Lit you have begotten}have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the ^{▼▼ Lit name}names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 “Now as for me, when I came from ^oPaddan, ^pRachel died, ^{▼▼ Lit upon me}to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8 When Israel ^rsaw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, ^s“They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that ^tI may bless them.” 10 Now ^uthe eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then ^{▼▼ Lit he}Joseph brought them close to him, and he ^wkissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never ^{▼▼ Lit meditated, judged}expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your ^{▼▼ Lit seed}children as well.” 12 Then Joseph ^{▼▼ Lit made them come out}took them from his knees, and ^aabowed with his face to the ground. 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, ^{▼▼ Or consciously directing}crossing his hands, ^{▼▼ Lit when}although ^adManasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said, ^ae“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
^afThe God who has been my shepherd ^{▼▼ Lit from the continuance of me}all my life to this day,
16 ^ahThe angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
^aiBless the lads;
And may my name ^{▼▼ Lit be called}live on in them,
And the ^{▼▼ Lit name}names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And ^almay they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 When Joseph saw that his father ^amlaid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped 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 one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But 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 shall be greater than he, and ^anhis ^{▼▼ Lit seed}descendants shall become a ^{▼▼ Lit fullness}multitude of nations.” 20 ^aqHe blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but ^arGod will be with you, and ^asbring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 “I give you one ^{▼▼ Or ridge; lit shoulder; Heb Shechem}portion more than your brothers, ^auwhich I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”