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48 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Yosef, Hinei, Avicha is choleh (ill); and he took with him his two banim, Menasheh and Ephrayim.

And one told Ya’akov, and said, Hinei, the ben of thee Yosef cometh unto thee; and Yisroel strengthened himself, and sat up upon the mittah (bed).

And Ya’akov said unto Yosef, El Shaddai appeared unto me at Luz in Eretz Kena’an, and made on me a brocha,

And said unto me, Hineni, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a kehal of ammim; and will give HaAretz Hazot to thy zera after thee for an achuzzat olam (everlasting possession).

And now thy two banim, Ephrayim and Menasheh, which were born unto thee in Eretz Mitzrayim before I came unto thee into Mitzrayim, are mine; like Reuven and Shimon, they shall be mine.

And thy moledet, which are born to thee after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the shem of their achim in their nachalah.

And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in Eretz Kena’an in the way, when there was yet but a space of land to go unto Ephratah; and I buried her there by the derech Ephrat; the same is Beit-Lechem.

And Yisroel beheld Bnei Yosef, and said, Who are these?

And Yosef said unto aviv, They are my banim, whom Elohim hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, now, unto me, and I will make upon them a brocha.

10 Now the eyes of Yisroel were dim from age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11 And Yisroel said unto Yosef, I never expected to see thy face; and, hinei, Elohim hath showed me also thy zera.

12 And Yosef brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground.

13 And Yosef took them both, Ephrayim in his yamin toward smol Yisroel, and Menasheh on his smol toward yamin Yisroel, and brought them near unto him.

14 And Yisroel stretched out his yamin, and laid it upon rosh Ephraim, who was the younger, and his smol upon rosh Manasseh, guiding his hands intentionally; for Menasheh was the bechor.

15 And he made on Yosef a brocha, and said, HaElohim, before whom my Avot Avraham and Yitzchak did walk, HaElohim Who was Roeh to me all my life long unto this day,

16 The Malach which redeemed me from kol rah, may he make a brocha on the ne’arim, and let my shem be named on them, and the shem of my Avot Avraham and Yitzchak; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of ha’aretz.

17 And when Yosef saw that aviv laid his yamin upon the rosh Ephrayim, it displeased him; and he took hold of yad aviv, to remove it from rosh Ephrayim unto rosh Menasheh.

18 And Yosef said unto aviv, Not so, Avi; for this is the bechor; put thy yamin upon his rosh.

19 And aviv refused, and said, I know it, beni (my son), I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly achiv hakaton shall be greater than he, and his zera shall become a multitude of Goyim.

20 And he made a brocha on them that day, saying, In thee shall Yisroel bless, saying, Elohim make thee like Ephrayim and like Menasheh; and he set Ephrayim before Menasheh.

21 And Yisroel said unto Yosef, Hinei I die; but Elohim shall be with you, and bring you back unto the Eretz Avoteichem.

22 Moreover, I have given to thee one portion above thy achim, which I took out of the yad HaEmori with my cherev and with my keshet.

48 En kort tid därefter fick Josef en dag reda på att hans far låg på sitt yttersta. Han tog därför med sig sina två söner Manasse och Efraim och gick för att besöka honom.

När Jakob hörde att Josef hade kommit dit, samlade han all sin styrka och satte sig upp i sängen för att hälsa på honom

och sa till honom:Gud, den allsmäktige, visade sig för mig i Lus i Kanaans land och välsignade mig

och sa till mig: 'Jag ska göra dig till ett stort folk, och jag ska ge Kanaans land till dig och dina barnbarn som en evig besittning.'

Därför adopterar jag nu dina två söner, Efraim och Manasse, som föddes här i Egyptens land innan jag kom hit, och de ska få ärva mig på samma sätt som Ruben och Simeon.

Men de andra barnen som du får ska bli dina egna, och de ska ärva Efraims och Manasses del från dig.

Din mor Rakel dog nämligen efter det att hon fött bara två barn, när jag kom från Paddan-Aram. Vi var inte långt ifrån Efrat och jag begravde henne där, på vägen till Betlehem.

Sedan såg Israel på de två pojkarna och sa: Är det dessa två?

Ja, svarade Josef. Detta är mina söner, som Gud har gett mig här i Egypten.Israel sa: För fram dem till mig så ska jag välsigna dem.

10 På grund av sin höga ålder kunde Israel knappt se. Därför tog Josef pojkarna till honom, så att han kunde kyssa och omfamna dem.

11 Israel sa till Josef: Jag trodde aldrig att jag skulle få se dig igen, men nu har Gud låtit mig få se dina barn också.

12-13 Josef tog pojkarna från Israels famn och bugade sig djupt med ansiktet mot marken. Så förde han fram pojkarna till Israel, med Efraim på sin högra sida och Manasse på sin vänstra framför Israels högra hand.

14 Men Israel lade armarna i kors när han sträckte ut dem för att lägga händerna på pojkarnas huvud, så att hans högra hand vilade på den yngre pojken Efraims huvud och hans vänstra hand på den äldre pojken Manasses huvud. Detta gjorde han avsiktligt.

15 Sedan välsignade han Josef med denna välsignelse: Gud, mina förfäder Abrahams och Isaks Gud, den Gud som har varit min herde hela livet, ska välsigna dessa pojkar underbart.

16 Han är den ängel som har skyddat mig från all skada. Dessa pojkar ska hedra mitt namn och min fader Abrahams och Isaks namn, och de ska bli ett mäktigt folk.

17 Men Josef blev upprörd och stött när han såg att hans far hade lagt sin högra hand på Efraims huvud. Därför lyfte han den för att lägga den på Manasses huvud i stället.

18 Far, du har din högra hand på fel huvud! sa han. Detta är den äldste, lägg din högra hand på honom!

19 Men Israel vägrade. Jag vet vad jag gör, min son, sa han. Manasse ska bli ett stort folk, men hans yngre bror ska bli ett ännu större.

20 Därför välsignade Jakob pojkarna denna dag med orden: Israels folk ska välsigna varandra genom att säga: 'Gud ska göra dig lika framgångsrik som Efraim och Manasse.' Han satte alltså Efraim före Manasse.

21 Sedan sa Israel till Josef: Jag ska snart dö, men Gud kommer att vara med dig och föra dig tillbaka till Kanaan, dina förfäders land.

22 Och jag har gett det utvalda Sikems land till dig i stället för till dina bröder. Det är den del av landet som jag tog från amoreerna med svärd och båge.

Joseph Visits His Ill Father

48 Some time later, somebody informed Joseph, “Your father is ill!” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him to visit Jacob.[a]

As soon as Jacob was informed, “Look! Your son Joseph has come to visit you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.

Jacob reminded Joseph, “God Almighty revealed himself to me at Luz in Canaan and blessed me. He told me, ‘Pay attention! I’m going to make you fruitful and numerous. I’m going to build you into a vast nation of people and then I’ll give this land to your descendants[b] for an eternal possession.’ You have two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to be with you, whom I now take as my own. Ephraim and Manasseh are mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. Your descendants[c] are to be reckoned as yours, but are to be referred to among the names of their brothers in their respective[d] inheritances.

“Now as for me, Rachel died after I arrived in Canaan from Paddan, much to my sorrow. While I was on my journey to Ephrathah (also known as Bethlehem), I buried her there.”

Joseph Seeks Blessings for His Sons

Just then, Israel saw Joseph’s sons and asked, “Who are these?”

“These are my sons,” Joseph replied.[e] “God gave them to me here in Egypt.”[f]

“Please bring them close to me,” Jacob[g] said, “so I can bless them.”

10 Now Israel’s eyesight had become poor[h] from age. Because he couldn’t see well, Joseph brought them close to him, and Israel[i] kissed them both and embraced them. 11 Then he told Joseph, “I never thought I’d see you again, and now God has allowed me to see your children as well!”

12 Joseph took them off his knees and then bowed low with his face to the ground. 13 Then he brought them both close to his father,[j] placing Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand, laying it on Ephraim’s head (he was the younger son) and laying his left hand on Manasseh’s head (even though Manasseh was the firstborn).

Israel Blesses Joseph’s Sons

15 Then Israel blessed Joseph by saying:

“May the God in whose presence
    my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has continued shepherding me
    my whole life even until today,
16 the angel who has been rescuing[k] me
    from all sorts of evil,
        bless these young men.
May my name continue to live on within them,
    including the names
        of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac,
and may they grow into a vast multitude
    throughout the earth.”

17 But Joseph observed that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head. That displeased him, so he grabbed his father’s hand and started to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 “No, father, this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”

19 But his father refused. “I know,” he said. “I know. He’s going to produce a large nation, and he’s going to be very great. However, his younger brother will become even greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”

20 That very day, Jacob[l] blessed them with this blessing:[m]

“By you Israel will extend this blessing:
    ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”

By doing this, he placed Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel told Joseph, “Pay attention! I’m about to die, but God will be with you. He’ll bring you back to the land that belongs to your ancestors. 22 I’m assigning you one portion more than your brothers from the land that I confiscated from the control[n] of the Amorites in battle.”[o]

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 48:1 The Heb. lacks to visit Jacob
  2. Genesis 48:4 Lit. descendants who come after you
  3. Genesis 48:6 Lit. descendants who come after you
  4. Genesis 48:6 The Heb. lacks respective
  5. Genesis 48:9 Lit. replied to his father
  6. Genesis 48:9 The Heb. lacks in Egypt
  7. Genesis 48:9 Lit. he
  8. Genesis 48:10 Lit. dim
  9. Genesis 48:10 Lit. he
  10. Genesis 48:13 The Heb. lacks to his father
  11. Genesis 48:16 Or redeeming
  12. Genesis 48:20 Lit. he
  13. Genesis 48:20 The Heb. lacks with this blessing
  14. Genesis 48:22 Lit. hand
  15. Genesis 48:22 Lit. Amorites with my sword and my bow

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. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel(B) rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

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) 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)

“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. 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. 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)

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

“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,

“May the God before whom my fathers
    Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,(AH)
the God who has been my shepherd(AI)
    all my life to this day,
16 the Angel(AJ) who has delivered me from all harm(AK)
    —may he bless(AL) these boys.(AM)
May they be called by my name
    and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(AN)
and may they increase greatly
    on the earth.”(AO)

17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand(AP) on Ephraim’s head(AQ) 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.”(AR)

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.(AS) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,(AT) and his descendants will become a group of nations.(AU) 20 He blessed(AV) them that day(AW) and said,

“In your[c] name will Israel(AX) pronounce this blessing:(AY)
    ‘May God make you like Ephraim(AZ) and Manasseh.(BA)’”

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you[d](BB) and take you[e] back to the land of your[f] fathers.(BC) 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[g](BD) than to your brothers,(BE) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword(BF) and my bow.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 48:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Genesis 48:7 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  3. Genesis 48:20 The Hebrew is singular.
  4. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  5. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  6. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  7. Genesis 48:22 The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem.