Genesis 48:1-11

New American Standard Bible

Israel’s Last Days

48 Now it came about after these things that ^[a]Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons ^(A)Manasseh and Ephraim with him. ² When ^[b]it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel ^[c]collected his strength and sat ^[d]up in the bed. ³ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “^[e](B)God Almighty appeared to me at ^(C)Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, ⁴ and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your ^[f]descendants after you as ^(D)an everlasting possession.’ ⁵ Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; ^(E)Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as ^(F)Reuben and Simeon are. ⁶ But your children that you have fathered after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the ^[g]names of their brothers in their inheritance. ⁷ Now as for me, when I came from ^(G)Paddan, ^(H)Rachel died, ^[h]to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

⁸ When Israel ^(I)saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” ⁹ And Joseph said to his father, “^(J)They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, so that ^(K)I may bless them.” ¹⁰ Now ^(L)the eyes of Israel were so ^[i]dim from age that he could not see. And ^[j]Joseph brought them close to him, and he ^(M)kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ And Israel said to Joseph, “I never ^[k]expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your ^[l]children as well!”