Genesis 48

Joseph with his two sons visiteth his sick father.

1And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph, "Behold, your father is sick;" and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2And one told Jacob, and said, "Look now, your son Joseph comes to you;" and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

Jacob rehearseth God’s promise.

3And Jacob said to Joseph, "God^a Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply your seed, and I will make of you a company of people, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.

He receiveth Joseph’s sons as his.

5And 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, shall be mine. 6And your issue, that you ^bhad begotten after them, shall be yours; they shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died ^cbeside me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem)." 8And Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, "Who are these?" 9And Joseph said unto his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me." And he said, "Bring them, I pray you, to me, and I will bless them." 10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11And Israel said unto Joseph, "I never thought I would see you again, and yet God has let me see your seed also." 12And Joseph brought them out from between his knees; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13And 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 unto him. 14And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, ^dguiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born. 15And he blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who has fed me all my life long unto this day, 16the 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; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." 17And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. 18And Joseph said unto his father, "Not so, my father; for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head."

He preferreth the younger.

19And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude^e of nations." 20And he blessed them that day, saying, "^fIn thee will Israel bless, saying, 'God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh;'" and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21And Israel said unto Joseph, "Although, I die; but God will be with you, and bring you again into the land of your fathers. 22Moreover I have given to you one ^gportion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."