| 1 | Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, "Indeed your father is sick"; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. |
| 2 | And Jacob was told, "Look, your son Joseph is coming to you"; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. |
| 3 | Then 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 multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.` |
| 5 | And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. |
| 6 | Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. |
| 7 | But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)." |
| 8 | Then Israel saw Joseph`s sons, and said, "Who are these?" |
| 9 | And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place." And he said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them." |
| 10 | Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. |
| 11 | And Israel said to Joseph, "I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!" |
| 12 | So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. |
| 13 | And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel`s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel`s right hand, and brought them near him. |
| 14 | Then 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 | And he blessed Joseph, and said: "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; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." |
| 17 | Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father`s hand to remove it from Ephraim`s head to Manasseh`s head. |
| 18 | And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." |
| 19 | But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." |
| 20 | So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will bless, saying, `May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!` " And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh. |
| 21 | Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. |
| 22 | Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow." |