Genesis 48
48
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
1Some time after this, Joseph was told, “Your father is weaker.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.
3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty # Gn 17:1 appeared to me at Luz # Gn 28:13,19; 35:6,9 in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and numerous; I will make many nations come from you, and I will give this land as an eternal possession # Gn 17:8 to your future descendants.’ # Gn 35:9-12 5Your two sons # Gn 41:50-52; 46:20 born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine. # Jos 13:7; 14:4; 17:17 Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do. 6Children born to you after them will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way, # Gn 35:9-19 some distance from Ephrath in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way to Ephrath,” (that is, Bethlehem).
8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these? ”
9And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons God has given me here.”
So Jacob said, “Bring them to me and I will bless them.” # Gn 27:4; 49:25-26; Heb 11:21 10Now his eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly # Lit he was not able to see. # Gn 27:1 Joseph brought them to him, and he kissed and embraced them. # Gn 27:27 11Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, but now God has even let me see your offspring.” 12Then Joseph took them from his father’s knees and bowed with his face to the ground. # Gn 18:2; 24:52; 33:3; 42:6; 43:26; Ex 34:8
Ephraim’s Greater Blessing
13Then Joseph took them both — with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel’s left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel’s right — and brought them to Israel. 14But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and crossing his hands, put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn. # Gn 25:23; 27:18-30 15Then he blessed Joseph and said:
The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, # Gn 17:1; 24:40
the God who has been my shepherd # Gn 49:24; Ps 23:1; Jr 31:10 all my life to this day,
16the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm # Gn 28:13-15; 31:11; Is 63:9; Ac 7:35 —
may He bless these boys.
And may they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, # Dt 28:10; 2Ch 7:14; Is 4:1; 43:1; 48:1
and may they grow to be numerous within the land.
17When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he thought it was a mistake # Or he was displeased ; lit head, it was bad in his eyes and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s. 18Joseph said to his father, “Not that way, my father! This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know! He too will become a tribe, # Lit people and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation.” # Or a multitude of nations; lit a fullness of nations 20So he blessed them that day with these words:
The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying,
“May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,”
putting Ephraim before Manasseh.
21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. # Gn 46:4; 50:24 22Over and above what I am giving your brothers, I am giving you the one mountain slope # Or Shechem, Joseph’s burial place; lit one shoulder that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow.” # Gn 34:25-29; Jos 24:32; Jn 4:5
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Genesis 48
48
Blessings for Manasseh and Ephraim
1Some time later Joseph learned that his father was very sick, so he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim and went to his father. 2When Joseph arrived, someone told Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” Jacob was weak, so he used all his strength and sat up on his bed.
3Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me there. 4He said to me, ‘I will give you many children. I will make you the father of many peoples, and I will give your descendants this land forever.’ 5Your two sons, who were born here in Egypt before I came, will be counted as my own sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will be my sons just as Reuben and Simeon are my sons. 6But if you have other children, they will be your own, and their land will be part of the land given to Ephraim and Manasseh. 7When I came from Northwest Mesopotamia, Rachel died in the land of Canaan, as we were traveling toward Ephrath. This made me very sad, and I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.” (Today Ephrath is Bethlehem.)
8Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons and said, “Who are these boys?”
9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons that God has given me here in Egypt.”
Israel said, “Bring your sons to me so I may bless them.”
10At this time Israel’s eyesight was bad because he was old. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Israel kissed the boys and put his arms around them. 11He said to Joseph, “I thought I would never see you alive again, and now God has let me see you and also your children.” 12Then Joseph moved his sons off Israel’s lap and bowed facedown to the ground. 13He put Ephraim on his right side and Manasseh on his left. (So Ephraim was near Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh was near Israel’s right hand.) Joseph brought the boys close to Israel. 14But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, who was younger. He put his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn son. 15And Israel blessed Joseph and said,
“My ancestors Abraham and Isaac served our God,
and like a shepherd God has led me all my life.
16He was the Angel who saved me from all my troubles.
Now I pray that he will bless these boys.
May my name be known through these boys,
and may the names of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac be known through them.
May they have many descendants
on the earth.”
17When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he didn’t like it. So he took hold of his father’s hand, wanting to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to his father, “You are doing it wrong, Father. Manasseh is the firstborn son. Put your right hand on his head.”
19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. Manasseh will be great and have many descendants. But his younger brother will be greater, and his descendants will be enough to make a nation.”
20So Israel blessed them that day and said,
“When a blessing is given in Israel, they will say:
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ ”
In this way he made Ephraim greater than Manasseh.
21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look at me; I am about to die. But God will be with you and will take you back to the land of your fathers. 22I have given you something that I did not give your brothers—the land of Shechem that I took from the Amorite people with my sword and my bow.”
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.