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Genesis 48:1-20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 48:1-20
Holman 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 an eternal 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 Jacob 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 with these words:
The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying,
“May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,”
putting Ephraim before Manasseh.
Footnotes
- Genesis 48:10 Lit he was not able to
- Genesis 48:17 Or he was displeased; lit head, it was bad in his eyes
- Genesis 48:19 Lit people
- Genesis 48:19 Or a multitude of nations; lit a fullness of nations
Genesis 48:1-20
Common English Bible
Genesis 48:1-20
Common English Bible
48 After this happened, Joseph was told,[a] “Your father is getting weaker,” so he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2 When Jacob was informed,[b] “Your son Joseph is here now,” he[c] pulled himself together and sat up in bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[d] appeared to me in Luz in the land of Canaan. He blessed me 4 and said to me, ‘I am about to give you many children, to increase your numbers, and to make you a large group of peoples. I will give this land to your descendants following you as an enduring possession.’ 5 Now, your two sons born to you in the land of Egypt before I arrived in Egypt are my own. Ephraim and Manasseh are just like Reuben and Simeon to me. 6 Your family who is born to you after them are yours, but their inheritance will be determined under their brothers’ names. 7 When I came back from Paddan-aram,[e] Rachel died, to my sorrow, on the road in the land of Canaan, with some distance yet to go to Ephrathah, so I buried her there near the road to Ephrathah,[f] which is Bethlehem.”
8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?”
9 Joseph told his father, “They’re my sons, whom God gave me here.”
Israel said, “Bring them to me and I will bless them.” 10 Because Israel’s eyesight had failed from old age and he wasn’t able to see, Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed and embraced them.
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t expect I’d see your face, but now God has shown me your children too.” 12 Then Joseph took them from Israel’s knees, and he bowed low with his face to the ground. 13 Joseph took both of them, Ephraim in his right hand at Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand at Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel put out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, the younger one, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands because Manasseh was the oldest son. 15 He blessed them[g] and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked,
may the God who was my shepherd
from the beginning until this day,
16 may the divine messenger who protected me from all harm,
bless the young men.
Through them may my name be kept alive
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.
May they grow into a great multitude
throughout the land.”
17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was upset and grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “No, my father! This is the oldest son. Put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He’ll become a people too, and he’ll also be great. But his younger brother will be greater than he will, and his descendants will become many nations.” 20 Israel blessed them that day, saying,
“Through you, Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”
So Israel put Ephraim before Manasseh.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 48:1 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vulg; MT he told
- Genesis 48:2 LXX; MT he informed
- Genesis 48:2 Heb Israel
- Genesis 48:3 Heb El Shaddai or God of the Mountain
- Genesis 48:7 Sam, LXX, Syr; MT lacks aram.
- Genesis 48:7 Sam; MT Ephrath
- Genesis 48:15 LXX; MT Joseph
Genesis 48:1-20
New International Version
Genesis 48:1-20
New International Version
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,
“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.
Footnotes
- Genesis 48:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
- Genesis 48:7 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 48:20 The Hebrew is singular.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
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