Berean Standard Bible
- 1 Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- 2 When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
- 3 Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
- 4 and told me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.'
- 5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
- 6 Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.
- 7 Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem).
- 8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, "Who are these?"
- 9 Joseph said to his father, "They are the sons God has given me in this place." So Jacob said, "Please bring them to me, that I may bless them."
- 10 Now Israel's eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
- 11 "I never expected to see your face again," Israel said to Joseph, "but now God has let me see your children as well."
- 12 Then Joseph removed his sons from his father's knees and bowed facedown.
- 13 And Joseph took both of them-with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand-and brought them close to him.
- 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh's head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
- 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said: "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
- 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm-may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth."
- 17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he was displeased and took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's.
- 18 "Not so, my father!" Joseph said. "This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."
- 19 But his father refused. "I know, my son, I know!" he said. "He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations."
- 20 So that day Jacob blessed them and said: "By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
- 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
- 22 And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow."
