Jacob blesses Joseph's 2 sons
1Later they told Joseph that his father was sick. He went to Jacob and he took his 2 sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him. 2The people told Jacob: ‘Your son Joseph has come to you.’ Jacob felt better immediately and he sat up on his bed.
3Jacob said to Joseph: ‘God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and He blessed me. 4He told me: “I will make you fertile and you will have many children. You will have many descendants and I will give them this land. It will always be their land.”
5Joseph, your 2 sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt before I came to you. To me they are like my own 2 sons, like Reuben and Simeon. 6Your 2 sons will each get some land in Canaan with my sons. But if you have sons after them, they will get a part of Ephraim's and Manasseh's land. 7When I came from Paddan-Aram, your mother Rachel died in Canaan on the way. It was not far from Ephrath. I buried her on the way near Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.’
8When Jacob saw Joseph's sons, he asked: ‘Who are they?’ 9Joseph answered his father and said: ‘These are the sons that God gave to me here in this land.’ Jacob said: ‘Bring them to me so that I can bless them.’ 10Jacob's eyes were weak because he was very old, and he could not see very well. Joseph took his sons to Jacob and Jacob kissed them and held them in his arms. 11Jacob said to Joseph: ‘I thought that I would never see you again, but God was very good to me. I have seen you and your descendants.’
12Joseph took his 2 sons from Jacob's knees and he bowed with his face to the ground. 13Then Joseph told his 2 sons to stand in front of Jacob. He took Ephraim with his right hand to stand at Jacob's left hand, and he took Manasseh with his left hand to stand at Jacob's right hand and he took them closer to Jacob. 14But Jacob crossed his arms. He put his right hand on Ephraim's head, who was standing at Jacob's left hand side because he was the youngest. And Jacob put his left hand on Manasseh's head. He was standing at Jacob's right hand side because he was the oldest.
15Jacob blessed Joseph's sons and said:
‘My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac
served God and they listened to Him.
God was also my Shepherd
all my life, to this day.
16He was the Angel who saved me
from all the dangers in my life.
He is the God who will bless these sons
so that my name,
and also the name of my fathers,
Abraham and Isaac,
will continue to live.
God will bless them
and they will become a big nation on earth.’
17When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought it was wrong. He took his father's right hand and tried to put it on Manasseh's head. 18Joseph said to his father: ‘No, Father, Manasseh is the oldest. You must put your right hand on his head.’
19But his father did not want to do it. He said: ‘I know, my son. Manasseh will also have many descendants and they will be a great nation. But his younger brother will have more descendants than he will. Ephraim's descendants will be a big and strong nation.’
20Jacob blessed Joseph's 2 sons that day and he said:
‘God will be with you.
When the people of Israel
want to say to each other:
“I hope you will be well,”
then they will use your name and say:
“I pray that God will bless you
like He has blessed Ephraim and Manasseh.” ’
So Jacob made Ephraim more important than Manasseh.
21Jacob said to Joseph: ‘I am going to die, but God will be with you and He will bring you back to the land of your forefathers. 22I now give you more than your brothers. I give the town of Shechem to you. I took that town myself from the Amorites with my sword and my bow_and_arrow.’
