²⁸ Jacob lived in Egypt^(A) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.^{(B) 29} When the time drew near for Israel^(C) to die,^(D) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(E) put your hand under my thigh^(F) and promise that you will show me kindness^(G) and faithfulness.^(H) Do not bury me in Egypt, ³⁰ but when I rest with my fathers,^(I) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”^(J)

“I will do as you say,” he said.

³¹ “Swear to me,”^(K) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,^(L) and Israel^(M) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.^[a](N)

Manasseh and Ephraim

48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim^(A) along with him. ² When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel^(B) rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

³ Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty^[a](C) appeared to me at Luz^(D) in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me^{(E) 4} and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers.^(F) I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land^(G) as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’^(H)

⁵ “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt^(I) before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,^(J) just as Reuben^(K) and Simeon^(L) are mine. ⁶ Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. ⁷ As I was returning from Paddan,^[b](M) to my sorrow^(N) Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).^(O)

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

⁹ “They are the sons God has given me here,”^(R) Joseph said to his father.

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

¹⁰ Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.^(T) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them^(U) and embraced them.^(V)

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

¹² Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees^(Z) and bowed down with his face to the ground.^{(AA) 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,^(AB) and brought them close to him. ¹⁴ But Israel^(AC) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,^(AD) though he was the younger,^(AE) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.^(AF)

¹⁵ Then he blessed^(AG) Joseph and said,

The Death of Jacob

²⁹ Then he gave them these instructions:^(A) “I am about to be gathered to my people.^(B) Bury me with my fathers^(C) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,^{(D) 30} the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(E) near Mamre^(F) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field^(G) as a burial place^(H) from Ephron the Hittite. ³¹ There Abraham^(I) and his wife Sarah^(J) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah^(K) were buried, and there I buried Leah.^{(L) 32} The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.^[a](M)”

³³ When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.^(N)