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,

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,

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.”

6 Therefore let us move beyond^(A) the elementary teachings^(B) about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,^[a](C) and of faith in God, ² instruction about cleansing rites,^[b](D) the laying on of hands,^(E) the resurrection of the dead,^(F) and eternal judgment. ³ And God permitting,^(G) we will do so.

⁴ It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,^(H) who have tasted the heavenly gift,^(I) who have shared in the Holy Spirit,^{(J) 5} who have tasted the goodness^(K) of the word of God^(L) and the powers of the coming age ⁶ and who have fallen^[c] away, to be brought back to repentance.^(M) To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God^(N) all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. ⁷ Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸ But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.^(O) In the end it will be burned.

⁹ Even though we speak like this, dear friends,^(P) we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.^{(Q) 11} We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope^(R) for may be fully realized. ¹² We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate^(S) those who through faith and patience^(T) inherit what has been promised.^(U)

The Certainty of God’s Promise

¹³ When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,^{(V) 14} saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”^{[d](W) 15} And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.^(X)

¹⁶ People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.^{(Y) 17} Because God wanted to make the unchanging^(Z) nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,^(AA) he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,^(AB) we who have fled to take hold of the hope^(AC) set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,^{(AD) 20} where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.^(AE) He has become a high priest^(AF) forever, in the order of Melchizedek.^(AG)