The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Genesis 48
1 After these things, someone said to
Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He
took with him his two sons, Manasseh and
Ephraim.
2 Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold,
your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel
strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan,
and blessed me,
4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you
fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make
of you a company of peoples, and will give
this land to your offspring after you for an
everlasting possession.’
5 Now your two sons, who were born
to you in the land of Egypt before I came
to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and
Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon,
will be mine.
6 Your offspring, whom you become the
father of after them, will be yours. They
will be called after the name oftheir brothers in their inheritance.
7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of
Canaan on the way, when there was still
some distance to come to Ephrath, and I
buried her there on the way to Ephrath
(also called Bethlehem).”
8 Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said,
“Who are these?”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my
sons, whom God has given me here.”
He said, “Please bring them to me, and I
will bless them.”
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for
age, so that he couldn’t see well. Joseph
brought them near to him; and he kissed
them, and embraced them.
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I
would see your face, and behold, God has
let me see your offspring also.”
12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself
with his face to the earth.
13 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 to him.
14 Israel stretched out his right hand, and
laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the
younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s
head, guiding his hands knowingly, for
Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 He blessed Joseph, and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has fed me all my life long to
this day,
16 the angel who has 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.
Let them grow into a multitude upon the
earth.”
17 When Joseph saw that his father laid
his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it
displeased him. He held up his father’s
hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to
Manasseh’s head.
18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my
father, for this is the firstborn. Put your
right hand on his head.”
19 His father refused, and said, “I know,
my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his
younger brother will be greater than he,
and his offspring will become a multitude
of nations.”
20 He blessed them that day, saying, “Israel will bless in your name, saying, ‘God
make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’ ”
He set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am
dying, but God will be with you, and bring
you again to the land of your fathers.
22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out
of the hand of the Amorite with my sword
and with my bow.”