48:1  Now it came about after these things that Joseph received the message, "Behold, your father has become sick." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

48:2  When they told Jacob, "Behold, your son Joseph has come to you," Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed.

48:3  Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

48:4  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 descendants after you for an everlasting possession.'

48:5  "Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, belong to me; Ephraim and Manasseh shall belong to me, as I consider Reuben and Simeon.

48:6  "But your offspring that have become born after them shall belong to you; they shall have the names of their brothers in their inheritance.

48:7  "Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there seemed still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (namely, Bethlehem)."

48:8  When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who do these belong to?"

48:9  Joseph said to his father, "They I proclaim as my sons, whom God has given me here " So he said, "Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them."

48:10  Now the eyes of Israel had become so dim from age that he could not see Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

48:11  Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well."

48:12  Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground.

48:13  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.

48:14  But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh had become born first.

48:15  He blessed Joseph, and said,"The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who I have regarded as my shepherd all my life to this day,

48:16  The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

48:17  When Joseph saw that his father laid 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.

48:18  Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one I acknowledge as the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head."

48:19  But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will become great. However, his younger brother shall become greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

48:20  He 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.

48:21  Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I will soon die, but God will remain with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

48:22  "I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."