Genesis 48
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. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I’m about to die. God will be with you and return you to the land of your fathers. 22 I’m giving you one portion more than to your brothers,[h] a portion that I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
Footnotes
- 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 48:22 Heb uncertain
Genesis 48
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 48
Jacob Adopts and Blesses Joseph’s Sons.[a] 1 Some time later, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he brought his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Behold your son Joseph is here for you,” Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 saying to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful. I will multiply you and make you become a multitude of peoples, and I will give this land to your descendants after you as an eternal possession.’
5 “Now the two sons born to you in the land of Egypt before I arrived to be with you in Egypt are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just like Reuben and Simeon. 6 The sons that you will have after these, they will be yours. They will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 As for me, while I was arriving from Paddan, Rachel, your mother, died in the land of Canaan while we were in journey, not too far on the road from Ephrath. We buried her on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem.”
8 Then Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said, “Who are these?”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons whom God has given me here.”
Israel said, “Bring them to me so that I can bless them.”
10 The eyes of Israel were dim in his old age. He could no longer see. Joseph approached him, kissed him, and embraced him. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I did not believe that I would see you face to face, and now, behold, God has granted me even to see your children.”
12 Joseph took them off his knees and bowed his face to the ground. 13 Then he placed the two of them, Ephraim on the left hand of Israel and Manasseh on the right hand of Israel, and he brought them to him. 14 But Israel took his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger of the two, and the left hand he put on the head of Manasseh, crossing his arms, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 Then he blessed Joseph,
“God, before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked,
God who has been my shepherd
again and again until this day,
16 the Angel who has freed me from every evil,
bless these young ones!
Let my name be remembered through them
and the name of my fathers
Abraham and Isaac
and let them be multiplied greatly
upon the earth.”
17 Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim and that this was wrong. He took the hand of his father to remove it from the head of Ephraim and put it on Manasseh’s head. 18 He said to his father, “Not like this, my father, this is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He will also become a people, he will also be great, but his younger brother will be greater than he and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day,
“By you Israel shall pronounce blessings saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’ ”
He thus put Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Israel then said to Joseph, “Behold, I am ready to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 As for me, I give to you, more than to your brothers, a mountain ridge that I won from the hands of the Amorites with sword and bow.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 48:1 In Israel, there was no tribe of Joseph, but two tribes bore the name of his eldest sons Ephraim and Manasseh; the tribe of Ephraim was the stronger one and had become the leader of the tribes that revolted (1 Ki 11:26-31) and formed the northern kingdom after the schism of 931 B.C. The present passage wishes to explain in advance this rupture of the political and religious unity. It contains bits and pieces of diverse traditions.
Genesis 48
New King James Version
Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons(A)
48 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, (B)Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel [a]strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God (C)Almighty appeared to me at (D)Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will (E)make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and (F)give this land to your descendants after you (G)as an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your (H)two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 Your [b]offspring [c]whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 But as for me, when I came from Padan, (I)Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
8 Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.”
And he said, “Please bring them to me, and (J)I will bless them.” 10 Now (K)the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he (L)kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, (M)“I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”
12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and (N)laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, (O)guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the (P)firstborn. 15 And (Q)he blessed Joseph, and said:
“God, (R)before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 The Angel (S)who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
Let (T)my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them (U)grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 Now when Joseph saw that his father (V)laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, (W)“I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly (X)his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”
20 So he blessed them that day, saying, (Y)“By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but (Z)God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover (AA)I have given to you one [d]portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand (AB)of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 48:2 Collected his strength
- Genesis 48:6 children
- Genesis 48:6 Who are born to you
- Genesis 48:22 Lit. shoulder
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
