Genesis 48:1 - Prayer Tents

48Some time after this conversation, Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to Jacob.H310H1697H559H3130H1H2470H3947H8147H1121H4519H669 2When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come," he roused himself and sat up in bed.H5046H3290H559H1121H3130H935H3478H2388H3427H4296 3Jacob said to Joseph, "The Strong God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.H3290H559H3130H410H7706H7200H3870H776H3667H1288 4He said, 'I'm going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I'll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.'H559H6509H7235H5414H6951H5971H5414H776H2233H310H5769H272 5I'm adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon.H8147H1121H669H4519H3205H776H4714H5704H935H4714H7205H8095 6But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance.H4138H3205H310H7121H5921H8034H251H5159 7I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem."H935H6307H7354H4191H776H3667H1870H5750H3530H776H935H672H6912H1870H672H1035 8Just then Jacob noticed Joseph's sons and said, "Who are these?"H3478H7200H3130H1121H559 9Joseph told his father, "They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place." "Bring them to me," he said, "so I can bless them."H3130H559H1H1121H430H5414H559H3947H1288 10Israel's eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced themH5869H3478H3513H2207H3201H7200H5066H5401H2263 11and then said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!"H3478H559H3130H6419H7200H6440H430H7200H2233 12Joseph took them from Israel's knees and bowed respectfully, his face to the ground.H3130H3318H5973H1290H7812H639H776 13Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel's right, and stood them before him.H3130H3947H8147H669H3225H3478H8040H4519H8040H3478H3225H5066 14But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn.H3478H7971H3225H7896H669H7218H6810H8040H4519H7218H7919H3027H7919H4519H1060 15Then he blessed them: The God before whom walked my fathers Abraham and Isaac, The God who has been my shepherd all my lifelong to this very day,H1288H3130H559H430H6440H1H85H3327H1980H430H7462H5750H3117 16The Angel who delivered me from every evil, Bless the boys. May my name be echoed in their lives, and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers, And may they grow covering the Earth with their children.H4397H1350H7451H1288H5288H8034H7121H8034H1H85H3327H1711H7230H7130H776 17When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought he had made a mistake, so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's,H3130H7200H1H7896H3225H3027H7218H669H3415H5869H8551H1H3027H5493H669H7218H4519H7218 18saying, "That's the wrong head, Father; the other one is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head."H3130H559H1H1H1060H7760H3225H7218 19But his father wouldn't do it. He said, "I know, my son; but I know what I'm doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations."H1H3985H559H3045H1121H3045H5971H1431H199H6996H251H1431H2233H4393H1471 20Then he blessed them both: Israel will use your names to give blessings: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.H1288H3117H559H3478H1288H559H430H7760H669H4519H7760H669H6440H4519 21Israel then said to Joseph, "I'm about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers.H3478H559H3130H4191H430H7725H776H1 22As for me, I'm presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow."H5414H259H7926H251H3947H3027H567H2719H7198