NIV 2011
Manasseh and Ephraim
48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 4 and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’
5 “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
9 “They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.
Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”
12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
—may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
on the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day and said,
“In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing:
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
WYC 1382
Manasseh and Ephraim
48 And so when these things were done, it was told to Joseph, that his father was sick. And he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and he disposed him to go. 2 And it was said to the eld man, Lo! thy son Joseph cometh to thee; which was comforted, and sat up in the bed.
3 And when Joseph entered to him, he said, Almighty God appeared to me in Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 and (he) said, I shall increase thee, and multiply thee, and I shall make thee into companies of peoples, and I shall give to thee this land, and to thy seed after thee, into everlasting possession.
5 Therefore thy two sons, that be born to thee in the land of Egypt, before that I came hither to thee, shall be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, as Reuben and Simeon, shall be areckoned to me; 6 forsooth the others which thou shalt beget after them shall be thine; and they shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions. 7 Forsooth when I came from Mesopotamia, Rachel was dead to me in the land of Canaan, in that way; and it was the beginning of summer; and (before that) I entered into Ephratah, and I buried her beside the way of Ephratah, which by another name is called Bethlehem.
8 Forsooth Jacob saw the sons of Joseph, and said to him, Who be these?
9 He answered, They be my sons, which God gave me in this place.
Jacob said, Bring them to me, (so) that I bless them.
10 For the eyes of Israel dimmed for great eld (age), and he might not see clearly; and he kissed and embraced those children joined to him,
11 and he said to his son, I am not defrauded of thy sight; furthermore God hath showed to me thy seed.
12 And when Joseph had taken them from his father’s lap, he worshipped low to the earth .13 And he set Ephraim on his right side, that is, on the left side of Israel; forsooth he set Manasseh on his left side, that is, on the right side of his father; and he joined both to him. 14 Which held forth the right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, the younger brother; soothly he laid his left hand on Manasseh’s head, that was the more through birth. Jacob changed his hands,
15 and blessed his son Joseph, and said,
God, in whose sight my fathers
Abraham and Isaac went;
God that feedeth me
from my young waxing age till into this present day;
16 the angel that delivered me from all evils,
bless these children,
and my name be called on them,
and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac;
and wax they in multitude on (the) earth.
17 Forsooth Joseph saw that his father had set his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and he took that heavily, and he endeavoured him(self) to raise his father’s hand, and take it from the head of Ephraim, and to bear it over upon the head of Manasseh. 18 And Joseph said to his father, Father, it accordeth not so; for this is the first begotten; set thy right hand on his head.
19 Which forsook to do so, and said, I know, my son, I know; and soothly this child shall be into peoples, and he shall be multiplied; but his younger brother shall be more than he, and his seed shall increase into (a multitude of) folks.
20 And he blessed them in that time, and said,
Israel shall be blessed in thee, Joseph, and it shall be said, God do to thee as to Ephraim and as to Manasseh.
And he set Ephraim before Manasseh;
21 and (Jacob) said to Joseph, his son, Lo! I die, and God shall be with you, and shall lead you again to the land of your fathers;
22 (and now) I give to thee one part over thy brethren, which I took from the hand of Amorite, in my sword and bow.
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