Genesis 48

Thomson(i) 1 After this when it was told Joseph, Thy father is sick, he took his two sons Manasses and Ephraim and went to Jacob. 2 And when they told Jacob saying, Behold thy son Joseph is coming to thee, Israel strengthened himself and sat upon the bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, My God appeared to me at Louza in the land of Chanaan and blessed me 4 and said, Behold I will make thee fruitful and multiply thee and make thee a multitude of nations, and I will give thee this land even to thy seed after thee for a perpetual possession. 5 Now therefore thy two sons, who have been born to thee in the land of Egypt, before I came to thee into Egypt, are mine. Ephraim and Manasses, like Reuben and Symeon, shall be mine. 6 And the issue which thou mayst have after this shall go by the name of their brothers. They shall be enrolled in their inheritances. 7 Now when I came out of Syrian Mesopotamia Rachel thy mother died in the land of Chanaan, just as I drew near the race ground of Chabratha on the way to Ephratha. So I buried her in the way of the race ground the same is Bethlehem. 8 Then Israel seeing the sons of Joseph said, Who are these with thee? 9 And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me here. Whereupon Jacob said, Bring them near to me that I may bless them. 10 Now Israel's eyes were dim by reason of old age and he could not see clearly. And when he brought them near to him, he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, Lo! was I not deprived of thy presence? yet behold God hath shewn me even thy seed. 12 Then Joseph took them from his knees; and when they had made obeisance to him with their face to the ground, 13 Joseph taking his two sons, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left and Manasses in his left hand towards Israel's right, brought them near to him. 14 But Israel stretching out his right hand laid it on Ephraim's head [now he was the youngest] and his left hand on Manasses' head crossing his hands. 15 And he blessed them and said, The God whom my fathers Abraham and Isaak worshipped; the God who hath fed me from my youth to this day; 16 the Angel who delivered me from all evils, bless these children! And let them be called by my name and by the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaak; and may they be increased to a great multitude on the earth! 17 Now when Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on Ephraim's head, it appeared amiss to him; and he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to the head of Manasses. 18 And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father: for this is the first born, put thy right hand on his head. 19 But he refused and said, I know; my son; I know. This indeed will be a people and will be exalted. But his younger brother will be greater than he; and his seed will be a multitude of nations. 20 And he blessed them that day and said, By you Israel will bless saying, God make thee like Ephraim and Manasses. So he put Ephraim before Manasses. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, Lo I die. But God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 Now to thee exclusively above thy brothers, I give Sikima, which I took out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.