Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh 1 ULT Then it happened after those things that{ someone} said to Joseph,“Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim. BSB BSB: Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 ULT And{ someone} announced to Jacob and said,“Behold, your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel gathered his strength and sat up on the bed. BSB BSB: When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
3 ULT Then Jacob said to Joseph,“God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and he blessed me BSB BSB: Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
4 ULT and said to me,‘Behold, I am making you fruitful, and I will multiply you and make you into an assembly of peoples. And I will give this land to your offspring after you{ as} an everlasting possession.’ BSB BSB: and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
5 ULT And now, your two sons, who were born for you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they{ are} mine, Ephraim and Manasseh, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. BSB BSB: And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
6 ULT But your children whom you father after them will be yours. They will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. BSB BSB: Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.
7 ULT And I, as I was coming from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, while{ there was} still a distance of land to go to Ephrath. And I buried her there beside the road of Ephrath, which{ is} Bethlehem.” BSB BSB: Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
8 ULT Then Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said,“Who{ are} these?” BSB BSB: When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
9 ULT And Joseph said to his father,“They{ are} my sons whom God has given to me in this{ place}.” Then he said,“Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” BSB BSB: Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.”
10 ULT Now the eyes of Israel were heavy from age,{ so that} he was not able to see. So he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. BSB BSB: Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
11 ULT Then Israel said to Joseph,“I did not expect to see your face, but behold, God has let me see also your offspring!” BSB BSB: “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
12 ULT Then Joseph removed them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his nose to the ground. BSB BSB: Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
13 ULT Then Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’ s left and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’ s right, and brought{ them} near to him. BSB BSB: And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him.
14 ULT But Israel extended his right hand and placed{ it} on the head of Ephraim, and he{ was} the younger, and{ he placed} his left hand on the head of Manasseh. He guided his hands, because Manasseh{ was} the firstborn. BSB BSB: But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 ULT Then he blessed Joseph and said,“May the God whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked before, the God who has been shepherding me from since I{ was born} until this day, BSB BSB: Then 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 to this day,
16 ULT the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, may he bless{ these} boys, and may my name be called in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” BSB BSB: the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
17 ULT And Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it was displeasing in his eyes, so he took hold of the hand of his father to move it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh. BSB BSB: When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s.
18 ULT And Joseph said to his father,“Not so, my father, because that{ one}{ is} the firstborn son. Put your right hand on his head.” BSB BSB: “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 ULT But his father refused and said,“I know, my son, I know. He will also become a people, and he will also be great. Nevertheless his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.” BSB BSB: But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”
20 ULT And he blessed them on that day, saying,“By you Israel will bless{ people}, saying,‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. BSB BSB: So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 ULT Then Israel said to Joseph,“Behold, I am dying, and God will be with you, and he will bring you back to the land of your fathers. BSB BSB: Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
22 ULT And I give you Shechem, one{ portion} above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite{ s} with my sword and with my bow.” BSB BSB: And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”