Genesis 48

1After these matters, someone said to Joseph, "See, your father is sick." He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him.

2Someone told Jacob, "Look, your son Joseph is coming to you," and Israel gathered his strength and sat on the bed.

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

4He said to me, "See, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make you an assembly of nations, and I will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession."

5Now your two sons born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you there belong to me; Ephraim and Manasseh, like Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.

6Your offspring whom you father after them will belong to you; they will bear their brothers' names in their inheritance.

7As for me, when I came from Paddan Rachel died beside me in Canaan’s land along the way, when there was still a short distance to Ephrath, and I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath—which is Bethlehem.

8Israel looked upon Joseph's sons and said, “Who are these?”

9Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." He said, "Bring them to me, please, and I will bless them."

10Israel's eyes had dimmed from old age, so he was unable to see. He brought them close to him, kissed them, and embraced them.

11Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and look, God has shown me your offspring too."

12Joseph brought them out from between his knees and bowed with his face to the earth.

13Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right, and drew them near to him.

14Israel extended his right hand and placed it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, deliberately guiding his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15He blessed Joseph and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has shepherded me from my youth until this day,"

16The angel who redeemed me from every evil, bless the youths, and let my name be called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head, it troubled him, and he grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head onto Manasseh's head.

18Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, because this is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head."

19His father refused and said, "I know, my son; I know. He too will become a people, and he too will be great. Yet his younger brother will surpass him, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations."

20He blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will bless, saying, 'God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.'" And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21Israel said to Joseph, "Look, I am dying, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers."

22I have given you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.