Genesis 48

¹These things being so done, it was told Joseph that his father was sick: who, taking his two sons Manasses and Ephraim, went forward.

²And it was told the old man: Behold thy son Joseph cometh to thee. Who being strengthened sat on his bed.

³And Joseph being entered in to him, he said: God Almighty appeared to me in Luza, which is in the Land of Chanaan: and he blessed me,

⁴and said: I will increase, and multiply thee, and make thee into multitudes of peoples: and I will give thee this land, and to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

⁵Thy two sons therefore which were born to thee in the Land of Ægypt before I came hither to thee, shall be mine: Ephraim and Manasses, as Ruben and Simeon shall be reputed to me.

⁶But the rest begotten of thee after them, shall be thine, and shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions.

⁷For unto me, when I came out of Mesopotamia, Rachel died in the land of Chanaan in the very journey, and it was spring time: and I entered into Ephrata, and buried her by the way side to Ephrata, which by another name is called Bethleem.

⁸And seeing his sons he said to him: Who are these?

⁹He answered: They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. Bring them, quoth he, to me, that I may bless them.

¹⁰For Israel's eyes were dim by reason of very great age, and he could not see clearly. And when they were set beside him, kissing and embracing them,

¹¹he said to his son: I am not defrauded of thy sight, moreover God hath shewed me thy seed.

¹²And when Joseph had taken them from his father's lap, he adored prostrate unto the ground.

¹³And he set Ephraim on his right hand, that is, on the left hand of Israel: but Manasses on his own left hand, to wit, on his father's right hand, and put them near to him.

¹⁴Who stretching forth his right hand, put it upon the head of Ephraim the younger brother: and the left upon the head of Manasses, that was the elder, changing hands.

¹⁵And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham & Isaac have walked, God that feedeth me from my youth until this present day:

¹⁶The Angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these children: and be my name called upon them, the names also of my fathers Abraham, and Isaac, and grow they into a multitude upon the earth.

¹⁷And Joseph seeing that his father had put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, took it heavily: and taking his father's hand he went about to lift it from Ephraim's head & to remove it upon the head of Manasses.

¹⁸And he said to his father: It is not convenient father so to be: because this is the first-begotten put thy right hand upon his head.

¹⁹Who refusing, said: I know my son, I know: and this same indeed shall be into peoples, and shall be multiplied: but his younger brother shall be greater than he: and his seed shall grow into nations.

²⁰And he blessed them at that time, saying: In thee shall Israel be blessed, and it shall be said: God do unto thee as unto Ephraim, & as unto Manasses. And he set Ephraim before Manasses.

²¹And he said to Joseph his son: Behold I die, & God will be with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers.

²²I do give thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorrhean with my sword and bow.