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When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
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When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
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“They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”
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Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
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Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”
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Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground.
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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, and brought them close to him.
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But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
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He blessed them that day and said, “In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
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Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.
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“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.
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Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.
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“Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
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But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
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All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.
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Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,
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And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”
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The Israelites Oppressed
These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:
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but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
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“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us.
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But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites
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During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.
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So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
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And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.
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So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
