48:1 After these things occurred
Joseph
was told:
Look,
your father is not well.
So he went to him
with his two sons
Manasseh and Ephraim.
48:2 When Jacob was told that
His
son Joseph has come to you
and
sat up in his bed.
48:3 Then Jacob said to Joseph:
God
Almighty appeared to me at Luz
in
48:4 He said to me:
Surely
you will become prosperous
and
will have a multitude of followers.
Your
followers will be given
a
world on the other side
as
an eternal inheritance.
48:5 Jacob continued to Joseph:
About
your two sons born to you
while
in the
before
I traveled to see you there:
Ephraim
and Manasseh are my own
just
as Reuben and Simeon are.
48:6 But the children you fathered
after
them shall be yours.
They
will be accounted for
with
their brothers in the inheritance.
48:7 As I was returning from Paddan
Rachel
passed away to my sorrow
in
some
distance from Ephrath.
I
buried her enroute to Ephrath (
48:8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons
he
asked who are these?
48:9 Joseph responded to his father:
These
are my sons
whom
God has given me here.
Then
Please
bring them to me
so
that I may bless them.
48:10 Now the eyes of
were
so blinded from age
that
he could not see.
So
Joseph brought them near
and
he kissed and embraced them.
48:11 Then Israel said to Joseph:
I
never expected to see you again.
But
God let me see your children too.
48:12 Then Joseph took them off his knees
and
bowed his head to the ground.
48:13 Then Joseph took both Ephraim
with
his right hand to
and
Manasseh with his left hand
toward
and
pulled them close to him.
48:14 But Israel reached out his right hand
and
placed it on the head of Ephraim
who
was the youngest
and
his left hand on Manasseh’s head
to
cross over his hands
though
Manasseh was the firstborn.
48:15 Then he blessed Joseph saying:
The
God with whom my teachers
Abraham
and Isaac walked
God
who has been my shepherd
all
my life to this day
48:16 May the angel
who
redeemed me
from
wickedness
bless
these boys.
May
my name
live
on in them
with
the names of my teachers
Abraham
and Isaac.
And
may they grow
and
become successful
within
this world.
48:17 When Joseph saw his father
had
put his right hand
on
Ephraim’s head
it
bothered him.
So
he took his father’s hand
and
moved it from Ephraim
to
Manasseh’s head.
48:18 Then Joseph said to his father:
Father
this is not correct
as
this one is the firstborn.
Place
your right hand on his head.
48:19 But his father refused saying:
I
know my son I know
he
also will have a following
and
he also will be successful.
But
his younger brother
shall
be more successful than he
and
his followers will be
a
fulfilled people.
48:20
I
bless you this day.
May
God ordain you
Ephraim
and Manasseh.
Thus
he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph:
Surely
I am about to die
but
God will be with you
and
bring you back
to
the world of your teachers.
48:22 I give you a bit more
than
your brothers
of
what I took from Amorites
with my sword and my bow.
