The Daily Audio Bible
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Jacob bows his final bow—perhaps in the weakness of old age or in thankfulness for Joseph’s promise, or maybe in prayer to the Lord.
In the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, custom demands that the firstborn son become the next head of the family and inherit the name, status, and wealth of his father. But as we have seen throughout Genesis, God makes a habit of ignoring human customs, subverting tradition, and privileging the younger over the older. When it comes to the covenant, God typically chooses to pass its blessings and duties to the younger. The trend continues throughout Scripture as God selects David and then Solomon, both younger sons, as the two greatest kings over Israel. It is almost humorous the way Joseph tries to engineer the situation placing Manasseh, his firstborn, at his father’s right hand to receive the greater blessing. But Israel has none of it. He crosses his hands and extends the right hand to Ephraim, the second-born. Joseph is sure his ailing father has made a mistake. But Jacob knows exactly what he is doing.
48 Soon after this, Joseph was brought word that his father was gravely ill; so he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to see Jacob. 2 When Jacob was told that his son Joseph had come to see him, he gathered his strength and sat up in bed.
Jacob (to Joseph): 3 The All-Powerful God[a] appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan many years ago and spoke His blessing over me, 4 telling me, “I am going to make you fruitful and multiply your descendants so that you will give rise to nation after nation. I will give this land to them after you to have as their possession forever.” 5 So Joseph, your two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came here are mine. I claim Ephraim and Manasseh as my own, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 As for any children you father after them, you may regard them as your own. When it comes time for your other children to gain their inheritances, they will be given land within the regions granted to their brothers, Ephraim and Manasseh. 7 When I left Paddan, your mother Rachel died on our journey in the land of Canaan. We were not far from Ephrath, so I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (which is also known as Bethlehem).
8 Just then Israel noticed Joseph’s sons.
Jacob: And who are these?
Joseph: 9 These are my sons, Father, whom God has given to me here in Egypt.
Jacob: Please bring them here to me, so I can lay my hands on them and bless them.
10 Israel’s eyes were dim because of his old age, so he couldn’t see well. Joseph brought the boys near to him, and Israel kissed them and hugged them warmly.
Jacob (to Joseph): 11 I didn’t know if I would ever see your face again, but now God has given me more than I hoped: He has let me see your children too.
12 Then Joseph moved the boys aside—they had been at his father’s knees—and he bowed down low with his face to the ground. 13 Then Joseph took his sons and brought them near to his father. He took his younger son Ephraim in his right hand and put him to the left hand of Israel, and he took Manasseh in his left hand and put him to the right hand of Israel. 14 But Israel stretched out his hands and crossed his arms, laying his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn. 15 And he spoke this blessing over Joseph.
Jacob: May the God before whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd all of my life and still to this day,
16 The messenger who has rescued me from all harm,
bless these boys.
And let my name be perpetuated through them,
as well as the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac,
And let them grow into a great multitude of people
throughout the world.
17 When Joseph saw that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was troubled, and so he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s.
Joseph: 18 No, Father! Since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.
19 But Israel refused.
Jacob: I know, my son, I know. Manasseh will also become a people, and he will be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his children will give rise to many nations.
20 So it was that Israel blessed Joseph and his sons that day.
Jacob: When the people of Israel speak blessings, they’ll remember you: “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.”
So this is how Israel ranked Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
Jacob (to Joseph): 21 Look, I am about to die; but I know that God will be with you, and He will bring you back to the land of your ancestors someday. 22 I am going to hand down to you more land than I give to your brothers. You will inherit a mountain ridge that I seized from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.
The Children of Jacob
| Leah | Zilpah | Bilhah | Rachel |
| 1 Reuben | 7 Gad | 5 Dan | 11 Joseph |
| 2 Simeon | 8 Asher | 6 Naphtali | 12 Benjamin |
| 3 Levi | |||
| 4 Judah | |||
| 9 Issachar | |||
| 10 Zebulun | |||
| Dinah |
The Children of Joseph
| Asenath |
| 1 Manasseh |
| 2 Ephraim |
49 After this, Jacob called all of his sons to him.
Jacob: 2 Gather near to me, so I can let you know what to expect in the days to come.
Gather around and pay attention, you sons of Jacob.
Listen carefully, my sons, to Israel, your father.
3 Reuben, you are my firstborn son,
my power and the vigor of my youth,
first in rank and first in power.
4 But you are out of control, like floodwaters; you have forfeited your place
because you have lain with your father’s wife
and defiled his bed—you climbed onto my couch!
5 Simeon and Levi are indeed brothers, kindred spirits
who use their swords[b] for cruelty and violence.
6 May I never enter their confidence;
from the two of them I must part company to retain my honor.
Because in their anger, they’ve killed men,
and they’ve hamstrung oxen on a whim.
7 Their anger be cursed, for they have fierce tempers.
Their wrath be cursed, for they can be cruel.
I will scatter their children among Jacob’s descendants
and spread them throughout the land of Israel.
8 But Judah, your brothers will praise you.
Your hand will firmly grasp the neck of your enemy,
and your brothers will bow down before you in respect.
9 Judah is a lion cub;
my son, who rises from the prey,
Who crouches down and stretches out like a lion,
and like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah;
the ruler’s staff will rest securely between his feet.
Until the One comes to whom true royalty belongs,
all people will honor and obey him.
11 He ties his foal to the vine
and his donkey’s colt to the choicest vine.
He washes his clothing in wine
and dips his robe in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.
Israel’s blessing speaks not only what is but what will be. His words establish Judah as the father to the royal line from which King David and his dynasty will one day come. They anticipate God’s eternal covenant with David that brings peace and prosperity to the entire world. It is little wonder that early Christians referred to the risen Jesus as “the lion of the tribe of Judah,” for they found in Him the fulfillment of Israel’s blessing.
13 Jacob: Zebulun will settle near the shores of the sea,
and he will be a safe harbor for ships.
His border will extend to Sidon.
14 Issachar is a strong donkey,
lying down between its saddlebags.[c]
15 He saw a good place to rest
and a land that seemed pleasant,
So he bent down to shoulder another load
and embraced a life of hard labor.
16 Dan will judge his people,
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Yet Dan will also be a snake by the road,
a viper along the path
That strikes at the horse’s heels as it goes by
so that its rider falls backward.
18 I wait patiently for Your salvation, Eternal One!
19 Gad will be raided by thieves,
but he will raid them in return.
20 Asher’s food will be rich and delicious,
and he will produce royal delicacies.
21 Naphtali is a beautiful doe, wild and free,
that bears lovely fawns.[d]
22 Joseph is a fruitful plant[e] that grows beside a spring,
its fruitful branches reaching over the wall.
23 The archers fiercely attacked him,
shot at him, and pressed hard against him.
24 But his bow remained taut and strong,
his arms firm and agile.
They were made so by the strong hands of God—
by the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd of the Rock of Israel,
25 By the God of your father, who will come to your aid,
by the All-Powerful One[f] who will bless you
With the blessings from heaven above,
blessings of the deep that lie beneath,
and blessings of the breasts and womb.
26 May the blessings of your father be more potent
than the blessings of the ancient mountains.
May they extend to the heights of the everlasting hills,
and may these blessings now rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.
27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
devouring prey by morning
and dividing spoil in the evening.
28 Now all these are the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is how their father described them when he blessed them—blessing each one with a blessing that suited each son.
When Israel’s inheritance of the land is divided, Levi is not included; but Joseph’s two sons become the leaders of two tribes descended from Joseph. Manasseh and Ephraim take Joseph’s and Levi’s places, filling out the twelve tribes.
Jacob (charging his sons): 29-30 I am about to join my ancestors in death. Please do as I ask, and bury me with my ancestors in the cave at Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan. It is located at the edge of a field owned by Ephron the Hittite. Abraham acquired the field from Ephron as a burial site for his family. 31 This is where Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, also Isaac and his wife Rebekah. I buried Leah there myself. 32 The field and cave were purchased from the Hittites long ago.
33 After Jacob finished with these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last breath, and joined his ancestors in death.
29 Jesus left and went to the Sea of Galilee. He went up on a mountaintop and sat down. 30 Crowds thronged to Him there, bringing the lame, the maimed, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many other sick and broken people. They laid them at His feet, and He healed them. 31 The people saw the mute speaking, the lame walking, the maimed made whole, the crippled dancing, and the blind seeing; and the people were amazed, and they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus (to His disciples): 32 We must take pity on these people for they have touched My heart; they have been with Me for three days, and they don’t have any food. I don’t want to send them home this hungry—they might collapse on the way!
Disciples: 33 We’ll never find enough food for all these people, out here in the middle of nowhere!
Jesus: 34 How much bread do you have?
Disciples: Seven rounds of flatbread and a few small fish.
35 He told the crowd to sit down. 36 He took the bread and the fish, He gave thanks, and then He broke the bread and divided the fish. He gave the bread and fish to the disciples, the disciples distributed them to the people, 37 and everyone ate and was satisfied. When everyone had eaten, the disciples picked up seven baskets of crusts and broken pieces and crumbs.
38 There were 4,000 men there, not to mention all the women and children. 39 Then Jesus sent the crowd away. He got into the boat and went to Magadan.
16 They came to Him together, a band of Pharisees and a band of Sadducees, trying to trick and trap Him.
Now at this time in Judea, the Jews, the children of Israel, are a diverse bunch. One group of Jews, which Jesus has already encountered, is called the Pharisees. Another group of Jews is called the Sadducees. The two groups do not agree about how to read Scripture, they do not see eye-to-eye, and they do not get along. They rarely partner with each other, but here they are partnering—because they are so perplexed, befuddled, and panicked about this Jesus.
They asked Him for a sign from heaven.
Jesus: 2 At evening time, you read the sky as a sign—you say, “The weather will be fine because the sky is shading red,” 3 and in the morning, you read the sky as a sign, saying, “The red, stormy sky tells me that today we will have storms.” So you are skilled at interpreting the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times? 4 Only a cheating and evil generation such as this would beg for a miraculous sign from heaven. The only sign you will get will be the sign of Jonah.
And then Jesus left them and went away.
5 When next the disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee, they forgot to bring any bread with them.
Jesus: 6 Be careful; avoid the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
7 The disciples were not quite sure what Jesus meant, so they discussed His warning among themselves.
Disciples: He must mean not to buy any bread from a baker who associates with the Pharisees or Sadducees. He must have given us this warning because we showed up here without any bread.
8 Jesus knew what the disciples were saying among themselves, and He took them to task.
Jesus: You men of little faith, do you really think that I care which baker you patronize? After spending so much time with Me, do you still not understand what I mean? So you showed up without bread; why talk about it? 9-10 Don’t you remember that we fed 5,000 men with five rounds of flatbread? Don’t you remember that we fed 4,000 men with seven rounds of bread? Don’t you remember what excess, what abundance there was—how many broken pieces and crusts you collected after everyone had eaten and was sated? 11 So when I speak about leaven, I am not talking about what we will eat for dinner. I say again, avoid the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
12 And then the disciples understood: Jesus was not talking about the bread you eat, but about the food that feeds your soul. He was speaking in metaphor; He was warning them against imbibing the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Psalm 20
For the worship leader. A song of David.
1 May the Eternal’s answer find you, come to rescue you,
when you desperately cling to the end of your rope.
May the name of the True God of Jacob be your shelter.
2 May He extend hope and help to you from His holy sanctuary
and support you from His sacred city of Zion.
3 May He remember all that you have offered Him;
may your burnt sacrifices serve as a prelude to His mercy.
[pause][a]
4 May He grant the dreams of your heart
and see your plans through to the end.
5 When you win, we will not be silent! We will shout
and raise high our banners in the great name of our God!
May the Eternal say yes to all your requests.
6 I don’t fear; I’m confident that help will come to the one anointed by the Eternal:
heaven will respond to his plea;
His mighty right hand will win the battle.
7 Many put their hope in chariots, others in horses,
but we place our trust in the name of the Eternal One, our True God.
8 Soon our enemies will collapse and fall, never to return home;
all the while, we will rise and stand firm.
9 Eternal One, grant victory to our king!
Answer our plea for help.
Fathers have a crucial role in instructing their sons. It’s easy and natural to teach children about some things: how to take care of a car, how to hit a ball, or how to mow the lawn. But what about deeper things, the kinds of things that make life worth living? These are much harder. They must not be left for someone else to do. Paul wrote, “And, fathers, do not drive your children mad, but nurture them in the discipline and teaching that come from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Instructing children in the ways of God is crucial work.
20 My son, pay attention to all the words I am telling you.
Lean in closer so you may hear all I say.
21 Keep them before you; meditate on them;
set them safely in your heart.
22 For those who discover them, they are life.
They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies.
23 Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it
because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.
24 Do away with any talk that twists and distorts the truth;
have nothing to do with any verbal trickery.
25 Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead,
and your focus fixed on what is in front of you.
26 Take care you don’t stray from the straight path, the way of truth,
and you will safely reach the end of your road.
27 Do not veer off course to the right or the left;
step away from evil, and leave it behind.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.