Genesis 48
Christian Standard Bible
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
48 Some time after this, Joseph was told, “Your father is weaker.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty(A) appeared to me at Luz(B) in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and numerous; I will make many nations come from you, and I will give this land as a permanent possession(C) to your future descendants.’(D) 5 Your two sons(E) born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine.(F) Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do. 6 Children born to you after them will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7 When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way,(G) some distance from Ephrath in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?”
9 And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons God has given me here.”
So Israel said, “Bring them to me and I will bless them.”(H) 10 Now his eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly[a] see.(I) Joseph brought them to him, and he kissed and embraced them.(J) 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, but now God has even let me see your offspring.” 12 Then Joseph took them from his father’s knees and bowed with his face to the ground.(K)
Ephraim’s Greater Blessing
13 Then Joseph took them both—with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel’s left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel’s right—and brought them to Israel. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and crossing his hands, put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.(L) 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said:
The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,(M)
the God who has been my shepherd(N) all my life to this day,
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm(O)—
may he bless these boys.
And may they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(P)
and may they grow to be numerous within the land.
17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he thought it was a mistake[b] and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not that way, my father! This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know! He too will become a tribe,[c] and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation.”[d] 20 So he blessed them that day, putting Ephraim before Manasseh when he said, “The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”
21 Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.(Q) 22 Over and above what I am giving your brothers, I am giving you the one mountain slope[e] that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”(R)
Génesis 48
La Biblia de las Américas
Jacob bendice a los hijos de José
48 Y sucedió que después de estas cosas, le dijeron a José[a]: He aquí, tu padre está enfermo. Y él tomó consigo a sus dos hijos, Manasés y Efraín(A). 2 Cuando se le avisó a Jacob diciendo[b]: He aquí, tu hijo José ha venido a ti, Israel hizo un esfuerzo[c] y se sentó en la cama. 3 Entonces Jacob dijo a José: El Dios Todopoderoso[d](B) se me apareció en Luz(C), en la tierra de Canaán; me bendijo, 4 y me dijo: «He aquí, yo te haré fecundo y te multiplicaré; y haré de ti multitud de pueblos y daré esta tierra a tu descendencia[e] después de ti en posesión perpetua(D)». 5 Ahora pues, tus dos hijos que te nacieron en la tierra de Egipto, antes de que yo viniera a ti a Egipto, míos son; Efraín y Manasés(E) serán míos, como lo son Rubén(F) y Simeón. 6 Pero los hijos[f] que has engendrado después de ellos, serán tuyos; serán llamados por el nombre de sus hermanos en su heredad. 7 En cuanto a mí, cuando vine de Padán(G), Raquel se me murió[g] en la tierra de Canaán, en el camino, cuando faltaba todavía cierta distancia para llegar a Efrata, y la sepulté allí en el camino a Efrata, esto es Belén(H).
8 Cuando Israel vio a los hijos de José(I), dijo: ¿Quiénes son estos? 9 Y José respondió a su padre: Son mis hijos, los que Dios me ha dado aquí(J). Y él dijo: Acércalos a mí, te ruego, para que yo los bendiga(K). 10 Y los ojos de Israel estaban tan débiles por la vejez que no podía ver(L). Entonces José se los acercó, y él los besó(M) y los abrazó. 11 E Israel dijo a José: Nunca esperaba[h] ver tu rostro, y he aquí, Dios me ha permitido ver también a tus hijos[i]. 12 Entonces José los tomó de las[j] rodillas de Jacob, y se inclinó con su rostro en tierra(N). 13 Y José tomó a los dos, a Efraín con la derecha, hacia la izquierda de Israel, y a Manasés con la izquierda, hacia la derecha de Israel, y se los acercó. 14 Pero Israel extendió su derecha y la puso sobre la cabeza de Efraín, que era el menor, y su izquierda sobre la cabeza de Manasés, cruzando adrede sus manos, aunque[k] Manasés era el primogénito(O). 15 Y bendijo a José, y dijo:
El Dios delante de quien anduvieron mis padres Abraham e Isaac(P),
el Dios que ha sido mi pastor(Q) toda mi vida[l] hasta este día,
16 el ángel que me ha rescatado de todo mal(R),
bendiga a estos muchachos(S);
y viva[m] en ellos mi nombre,
y el nombre de mis padres Abraham e Isaac;
y crezcan para ser multitud en medio de la tierra(T).
17 Cuando José vio que su padre había puesto su mano derecha sobre la cabeza de Efraín(U), esto le desagradó; y asió la mano de su padre para cambiarla de la cabeza de Efraín a la cabeza de Manasés. 18 Y José dijo a su padre: No sea así, padre mío, pues este es el primogénito. Pon tu derecha sobre su cabeza. 19 Mas su padre rehusó y dijo: Lo sé, hijo mío, lo sé; él también llegará a ser un pueblo, y él también será grande. Sin embargo, su hermano menor será más grande que él, y su descendencia[n] llegará a ser multitud[o] de naciones(V). 20 Y los bendijo aquel día(W), diciendo:
Por ti[p] bendecirá Israel, diciendo:
Que Dios te haga como Efraín y Manasés.
Así puso a Efraín antes de Manasés. 21 Entonces Israel dijo a José: He aquí, yo estoy a punto de morir, pero Dios estará con vosotros(X) y os hará volver a la tierra de vuestros padres(Y). 22 Y yo te doy una parte[q] más que a tus hermanos, la cual tomé de mano del amorreo(Z) con mi espada y con mi arco.
Footnotes
- Génesis 48:1 Lit., uno dijo a José
- Génesis 48:2 Lit., y dijo
- Génesis 48:2 Lit., se fortaleció
- Génesis 48:3 Heb., El Shaddai
- Génesis 48:4 Lit., simiente
- Génesis 48:6 Lit., tu prole
- Génesis 48:7 Lit., Raquel murió sobre mí
- Génesis 48:11 Lit., juzgaba
- Génesis 48:11 Lit., tu simiente
- Génesis 48:12 Lit., los hizo salir de sus
- Génesis 48:14 Lit., cuando
- Génesis 48:15 Lit., desde mi continuidad
- Génesis 48:16 Lit., sea llamado
- Génesis 48:19 O, simiente
- Génesis 48:19 Lit., plenitud
- Génesis 48:20 Algunos mss. dicen: vosotros
- Génesis 48:22 Lit., un hombro, heb., Shekem
Genesis 48
The Message
48 1-2 Some time after this conversation, Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to Jacob. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come,” he roused himself and sat up in bed.
3-7 Jacob said to Joseph, “The Strong God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. He said, ‘I’m going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I’ll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.’ I’m adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon. But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance. I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem.”
8 Just then Jacob noticed Joseph’s sons and said, “Who are these?”
9-11 Joseph told his father, “They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place.”
“Bring them to me,” he said, “so I can bless them.” Israel’s eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced them and then said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!”
12-16 Joseph took them from Israel’s knees and bowed respectfully, his face to the ground. Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel’s right, and stood them before him. But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn. Then he blessed them:
The God before whom walked
my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
The God who has been my shepherd
all my life long to this very day,
The Angel who delivered me from every evil,
Bless the boys.
May my name be echoed in their lives,
and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers,
And may they grow
covering the Earth with their children.
17-18 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he thought he had made a mistake, so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s, saying, “That’s the wrong head, Father; the other one is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head.”
19-20 But his father wouldn’t do it. He said, “I know, my son; but I know what I’m doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations.” Then he blessed them both:
Israel will use your names to give blessings:
May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.
In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21-22 Israel then said to Joseph, “I’m about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers. As for me, I’m presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow.”
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson