Genesis 48
48
Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons
1After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph is coming to you,” Israel strengthened himself and sat up in the bed.
3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me # Ge 17:1; Ex 6:3 at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make you into a multitude of people and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’ # Ge 17:8
5“Now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, # Ge 41:50–52; 46:20 are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6Any children you have after them will be yours and will be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7As for me, when I came from Paddan, # Ge 35:9 Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to get to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” # Ge 35:16–19
8Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons and said, “Whose are these?”
9And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.” # Ge 33:5
And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” # Ge 27:4
10Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. # Ge 27:1 So Joseph brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. # Ge 27:27
11Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; # Ge 45:26 and behold, God has let me see your children also.”
12So Joseph took them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the ground. # Ge 42:6 13Joseph 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 him. 14Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. # Ge 41:51
15He blessed Joseph and said,
“God, before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who fed me
all my life long to this day, # Ge 17:1
16the angel who redeemed me from all evil, # Ps 34:22; 121:7
bless the boys;
let them be called by my name,
and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac;
and let them grow into a multitude
in the midst of the earth.”
17When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. # Ge 48:14 18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19His father refused and said, “I know it, my son, I know it. He will also become a people, and he will also be great, but truly his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” # Ge 17:20; 25 20He blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will bless, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ ” # Ru 4:11–12
So he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and return you again to the land of your fathers. # Ge 46:4; 50:24 22Moreover, I have given to you one portion more than your brothers, # Jos 24:32; Jn 4:5 which I took out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
Currently Selected:
Genesis 48: MEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
Genesis 48
48
1 After these things were done, it was reported to Joseph that his father was sick. And taking his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim, he went directly to him.
2 And it was told to the old man, "Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you." And being strengthened, he sat up in bed.
3 And when he had entered to him, he said: "Almighty God appeared to me at Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, and he blessed me.
4 And he said: 'I will increase and multiply you, and I will make you influential among the people. And I will give this land to you, and to your offspring after you, as an everlasting possession.'
5 Therefore, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came here to you, will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be treated by me just like Reuben and Simeon.
6 But the remainder, whom you will conceive after them, will be yours, and they will be called by the name of their brothers among their possessions.
7 As for me, when I came from Mesopotamia, Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the very journey, and it was springtime. And I entered Ephrath and buried her next to the way of Ephrath, which by another name is called Bethlehem."
8 Then, seeing his sons, he said to him: "Who are these?"
9 He responded, "They are my sons, whom God gave to me as a gift in this place." "Bring them to me," he said, "so that I may bless them."
10 For Israel's eyes were clouded by reason of his great age, and he was unable to see clearly. And when they were placed up against him, he kissed and embraced them.
11 And he said to his son: "I have not been cheated out of seeing you. Moreover, God has shown me your offspring."
12 And when Joseph had taken them from his father's lap, he reverenced prone on the ground.
13 And he placed Ephraim on his right, that is, towards the left hand of Israel. Yet truly Manasseh was on his left, namely, towards his father's right hand. And he placed them both up against him.
14 And he, extending his right hand, placed it over the head of Ephraim, the younger brother, but the left hand was on the head of Manasseh, who was the elder, so that his hands were crossed.
15 And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and he said: "God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God who pastured me from my youth until the present day,
16 the Angel, who rescues me from all evils: bless these boys. And let my name be invoked over them, and also the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. And may they increase into a multitude across the earth."
17 But Joseph, seeing that his father had placed his right hand over the head of Ephraim, took it gravely. And grasping his father's hand, he tried to lift it from Ephraim's head and transfer it onto the head of Manasseh.
18 And he said to his father: "It should not have come to pass this way, father. For this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand over his head."
19 But refusing, he said: "I know, my son, I know. And this one, indeed, will be among the people and will be multiplied. But his younger brother will be greater than he. And his offspring will increase among the nations."
20 And he blessed them at that time, saying: "In you, Israel will be blessed, and it will be said: 'May God treat you like Ephraim, and like Manasseh.' " And he established Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 And he said to his son Joseph: "See, I am dying, and God will be with you, and he will lead you back to the land of your fathers.
22 I give you one part beyond that of your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in