Genesis - 48

1 - And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph - , Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh - and Ephraim - .

2 - And one told Jacob - , and said, Behold, thy son Joseph - cometh unto thee: and Israel - strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

3 - And Jacob - said unto Joseph - , God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz - in the land of Canaan - , and blessed me,

4 - And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

5 - And now thy two sons, Ephraim - and Manasseh - , which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt - before I came unto thee into Egypt - , are mine; as Reuben - and Simeon - , they shall be mine.

6 - And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

7 - And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel - died by me in the land of Canaan - in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath - : and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath - ; the same is Bethlehem - .

8 - And Israel - beheld Joseph - 's sons, and said, Who are these?

9 - And Joseph - said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

10 - Now the eyes of Israel - were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11 - And Israel - said unto Joseph - , I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

12 - And Joseph - brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13 - And 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.

14 - And 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, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh - was the firstborn.

15 - And he blessed Joseph - , and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham - and Isaac - did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

16 - The Angel which 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.

17 - And 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.

18 - And Joseph - said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

19 - And 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: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20 - And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel - bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim - and as Manasseh - : and he set Ephraim - before Manasseh - .

21 - And Israel - said unto Joseph - , Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

22 - Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.