Manasseh and Ephraim

1After these things Joseph was told, “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has just come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed. 3Jacob said to Joseph, “The sovereign God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and will multiply you. I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants as an everlasting possession.’

5“Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6Any children that you father after them will be yours; they will be listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7But as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died – to my sorrow – in the land of Canaan. It happened along the way, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).

8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these?” 9Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” His father said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” 10Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph brought his sons near to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. 11Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see you again, but now God has allowed me to see your children too.”

12So Joseph moved them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13Joseph positioned them; he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel’s right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father. 14Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, although he was the younger. Crossing his hands, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked –

the God who has been my shepherd

all my life long to this day,

16the Angel who has protected me

from all harm –

bless these boys.

May my name be named in them,

and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.

May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”

17When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him. So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a nation and he too will become great. In spite of this, his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” 20So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you will Israel bless, saying,

‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22As one who is above your brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”