Genesis 48

48Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him.H310H1697H559H3130H1H2470H3947H8147H1121H4519H6692When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.H5046H3290H559H1121H3130H935H3478H2388H3427H42963Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed meH3290H559H3130H410H7706H7200H3870H776H3667H12884and said to me, 'I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.'H559H6509H7235H5414H6951H5971H5414H776H2233H310H5769H2725"Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.H8147H1121H669H4519H3205H776H4714H5704H935H4714H7205H80956Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.H4138H3205H310H7121H5921H8034H251H51597As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem).H935H6307H7354H4191H776H3667H1870H5750H3530H776H935H672H6912H1870H672H10358When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, "Who are these?"H3478H7200H3130H1121H5599"They are the sons God has given me here," Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, "Bring them to me so I may bless them."H3130H559H1H1121H430H5414H559H3947H128810Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.H5869H3478H3513H2207H3201H7200H5066H5401H226311Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too."H3478H559H3130H6419H7200H6440H430H7200H223312Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground.H3130H3318H5973H1290H7812H639H77613And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him.H3130H3947H8147H669H3225H3478H8040H4519H8040H3478H3225H506614But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.H3478H7971H3225H7896H669H7218H6810H8040H4519H7218H7919H3027H7919H4519H106015Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,H1288H3130H559H430H6440H1H85H3327H1980H430H7462H5750H311716the Angel who has delivered me from all harm—may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly on the earth."H4397H1350H7451H1288H5288H8034H7121H8034H1H85H3327H1711H7230H7130H77617When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.H3130H7200H1H7896H3225H3027H7218H669H3415H5869H8551H1H3027H5493H669H7218H4519H721818Joseph said to him, "No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."H3130H559H1H1H1060H7760H3225H721819But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations."H1H3985H559H3045H1121H3045H5971H1431H199H6996H251H1431H2233H4393H147120He blessed them that day and said, "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' " So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.H1288H3117H559H3478H1288H559H430H7760H669H4519H7760H669H6440H451921Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.H3478H559H3130H4191H430H7725H776H122And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow."H5414H259H7926H251H3947H3027H567H2719H7198