When Israel(A) saw the sons of Joseph,(B) he asked, “Who are these?”

“They are the sons God has given me here,”(C) Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless(D) them.”

10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.(E) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them(F) and embraced them.(G)

11 Israel(H) said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,(I) and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”(J)

12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees(K) and bowed down with his face to the ground.(L) 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand,(M) and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel(N) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,(O) though he was the younger,(P) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.(Q)

15 Then he blessed(R) Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers
    Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,(S)
the God who has been my shepherd(T)
    all my life to this day,
16 the Angel(U) who has delivered me from all harm(V)
    —may he bless(W) these boys.(X)
May they be called by my name
    and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(Y)
and may they increase greatly
    on the earth.”(Z)

17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand(AA) on Ephraim’s head(AB) he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”(AC)

19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.(AD) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,(AE) and his descendants will become a group of nations.(AF) 20 He blessed(AG) them that day(AH) and said,

“In your[a] name will Israel(AI) pronounce this blessing:(AJ)
    ‘May God make you like Ephraim(AK) and Manasseh.(AL)’”

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you[b](AM) and take you[c] back to the land of your[d] fathers.(AN) 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[e](AO) than to your brothers,(AP) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword(AQ) and my bow.”

Jacob Blesses His Sons(AR)

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.(AS)

“Assemble(AT) and listen, sons of Jacob;
    listen to your father Israel.(AU)

“Reuben, you are my firstborn,(AV)
    my might, the first sign of my strength,(AW)
    excelling in honor,(AX) excelling in power.
Turbulent as the waters,(AY) you will no longer excel,
    for you went up onto your father’s bed,
    onto my couch and defiled it.(AZ)

“Simeon(BA) and Levi(BB) are brothers—
    their swords[f] are weapons of violence.(BC)
Let me not enter their council,
    let me not join their assembly,(BD)
for they have killed men in their anger(BE)
    and hamstrung(BF) oxen as they pleased.
Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
    and their fury,(BG) so cruel!(BH)
I will scatter them in Jacob
    and disperse them in Israel.(BI)

“Judah,[g](BJ) your brothers will praise you;
    your hand will be on the neck(BK) of your enemies;
    your father’s sons will bow down to you.(BL)
You are a lion’s(BM) cub,(BN) Judah;(BO)
    you return from the prey,(BP) my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
    like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,(BQ)
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[h]
until he to whom it belongs[i] shall come(BR)
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his.(BS)
11 He will tether his donkey(BT) to a vine,
    his colt to the choicest branch;(BU)
he will wash his garments in wine,
    his robes in the blood of grapes.(BV)
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
    his teeth whiter than milk.[j](BW)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 48:20 The Hebrew is singular.
  2. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  3. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  4. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  5. Genesis 48:22 The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem.
  6. Genesis 49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  7. Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
  8. Genesis 49:10 Or from his descendants
  9. Genesis 49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  10. Genesis 49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk

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

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.

49 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

The Transfiguration(A)(B)

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John(C) the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.(D) Listen to him!”(E)

When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”(F) When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone(G) what you have seen, until the Son of Man(H) has been raised from the dead.”(I)

10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.(J) 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come,(K) and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished.(L) In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer(M) at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.(N)

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17 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

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