Genesis 48:1-20

Genesis 48:1-20

[1] And it came to pass after  these things,  that one told  Joseph,  Behold, thy father  is sick:  and he took  with him his two  sons,  Manasseh  and Ephraim.  [2] And one told  Jacob,  and said,  Behold, thy son  Joseph  cometh  unto thee: and Israel  strengthened  himself, and sat  upon the bed.  [3] And Jacob  said  unto Joseph,  God  Almighty  appeared  unto me at Luz  in the land  of Canaan,  and blessed  [4] And said  unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful,  and multiply  thee, and I will make  of thee a multitude  of people;  and will give  this land  to thy seed  after thee  for an everlasting  possession.  [5] And now thy two  sons,  Ephraim  and Manasseh,  which were born  unto thee in the land  of Egypt  before  I came  unto thee into Egypt,  are mine; as Reuben  and Simeon,  they shall be mine. [6] And thy issue,  which thou begettest  after  them, shall be thine, and shall be called  after  the name  of their brethren  in their inheritance.  [7] And as for me, when I came  from Padan,  Rachel  died  by me in the land  of Canaan  in the way,  when  yet there was but a little  way  to come  unto Ephrath:  and I buried her  there in the way  of Ephrath;  the same is Bethlehem.  [8] And Israel  beheld  Joseph's  sons,  and said,  [9] And Joseph  said  unto his father,  They are my sons,  whom God  hath given  me in this place. And he said,  Bring them,  I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless  them. [10] Now the eyes  of Israel  were dim  for age,  so that he could  not see.  And he brought them near  unto him; and he kissed  them, and embraced  them. [11] And Israel  said  unto Joseph,  I had not thought  to see  thy face:  and, lo, God  hath shewed  me also thy seed.  [12] And Joseph  brought them out  from between  his knees,  and he bowed  himself with his face  to the earth.  [13] And Joseph  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  [14] And Israel  stretched out  his right hand,  and laid  it upon Ephraim's  head,  who was the younger,  and his left hand  upon Manasseh's  head,  his hands  wittingly;  for Manasseh  was the firstborn.  [15] And he blessed  Joseph,  and said,  God,  before  whom my fathers  Abraham  and Isaac  did walk,  the God  which fed  me all my life long  unto this day,  [16] The Angel  which redeemed  me from all evil,  bless  the lads;  and let my name  be named  on them, and the name  of my fathers  Abraham  and Isaac;  and let them grow  into a multitude  in the midst  of the earth.  [17] And when Joseph  saw  that his father  laid  his right  hand  upon the head  of Ephraim,  him: and he held up  his father's  hand,  to remove  it from Ephraim's  head  unto Manasseh's  head.  [18] And Joseph  said  unto his father,  for this is the firstborn;  put  thy right hand  upon his head.  [19] And his father  refused,  and said,  I know  it, my son,  I know  it: he also shall become a people,  and he also shall be great:  but truly  his younger  brother  shall be greater  than he, and his seed  shall become a multitude  of nations.  [20] And he blessed  them that day,  saying,  In thee shall Israel  bless,  saying,  God  make  thee as Ephraim  and as Manasseh:  and he set  Ephraim  before  Manasseh.