THE FIRST BOOK OF
MOSES,
called
G E N E S I S
Genesis 48 ©
Jacob, being sick, is visited by Joseph, vs. 1, etc. To whom he holds up God’s promises, and adopts his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim, as his own and as the fathers of two particular tribes in Israel, 5. In the laying on of the hands and blessing, Jacob purposely prefers the younger, namely, Ephraim, before the older, Manasseh, 13. Notwithstanding Joseph’s interpellation, 17. Blessing them thus together with their father Joseph, and prophesying of their return into the land of Canaan, 21. He gives Joseph a piece of land in advance, 22.
AND it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he 1took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
And Jacob said unto Joseph, 2God Almightya appeared unto meb at 3Luz in the land of Canaan, and 4blessed me,
And said unto me, Behold,c I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this 5land to thy seed after thee 6for an everlasting possession.
¶And now thy two sons, 7Ephraim and Manasseh, whichd were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are 8mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
And 9thy issue, which thou begettest after them, 10shall be thine, and 11shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
And as for me, when I came from 12Padan, Rachele died 13by me in the land of Canaan in the way, 14when yet there was but a little way 15to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Beth-lehem.
And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, 16Who are these?
And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, 17Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, 18and I will bless them.
Now the eyes of Israel were 19dim for age, so that 20he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; 21and he kissed them, and 22embraced them.
And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.
And Joseph brought them out 23from between his knees, and 24he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
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.
And Israel stretched out his right hand, and 25laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the 26younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, 27guiding his hands wittingly; 28for Manasseh was the firstborn.
¶And he blessedf29Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
Theg30Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and 31let 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.
And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it 32displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.
And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
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 33greater than he, and his seed shall become ah34multitude of nations.
And he blessed them that day, saying, 35In thee shall 36Israel bless, saying, Godi make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, 37I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again 38unto the land of your fathers.
Moreoverj I have given to thee 39one portion 40above thy brethren, whichk I 41took out of the hand of the 42Amorite with my sword and with my bow.