Genesis 48:8-49:12

New International Version

⁸When Israel^(A) saw the sons of Joseph,^(B) he asked, “Who are these?”

⁹“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.”

¹⁰Now 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)

¹¹Israel^(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)

¹²Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees^(K) and bowed down with his face to the ground.^(L) ¹³And 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. ¹⁴But 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)

¹⁵Then 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,
¹⁶the 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)

¹⁷When 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. ¹⁸Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”^(AC)

¹⁹But 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)” ²⁰He 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.

²¹Then 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) ²²And 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)

²“Assemble^(AT) and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.^(AU)

³“Reuben, you are my firstborn,^(AV)
    my might, the first sign of my strength,^(AW)
    excelling in honor,^(AX) excelling in power.
⁴Turbulent 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)

⁵“Simeon^(BA) and Levi^(BB) are brothers—
    their swords^[f] are weapons of violence.^(BC)
⁶Let 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.
⁷Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
    and their fury,^(BG) so cruel!^(BH)
I will scatter them in Jacob
    and disperse them in Israel.^(BI)

⁸“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)
⁹You 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?
¹⁰The 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)
¹¹He 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)
¹²His eyes will be darker than wine,
    his teeth whiter than milk.^[j]^(BW)

Footnotes

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

Matthew 17:1-13

New International Version

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. ²There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴Peter 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.”

⁵While 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)

⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”^(F) ⁸When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹As 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)

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

¹¹Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.^(J) ¹²But 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.” ¹³Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.^(N)