Genesis 48 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Israel Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim

(Heb 11:21 )

Now it happened^H1961 after^H310 these^H428 things^H1697 that [fn]Joseph^H3130 was told^H559, “Behold^H2009, your father^H1 is^H2470 sick^H2470.” So he took^H3947 his two^H8147 sons^H1121 Manasseh^H4519 and Ephraim^H669 with him.

Gen 48:2

Gen 48:2Then [fn]it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” so Israel strengthened himself and sat [fn]up in the bed.

Gen 48:3

Gen 48:3Then Jacob said to Joseph, “[fn]God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

Gen 48:4

Gen 48:4and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply, and I will make you an assembly of peoples, and I will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.’

Gen 48:5

Gen 48:5“So now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.

Gen 48:6

Gen 48:6“But your kin that [fn]have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the [fn]names of their brothers in their inheritance.

Gen 48:7

Gen 48:7“Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, [fn]to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

Gen 48:8

Then Israel^H3478 saw^H7200 Joseph’s^H3130 sons^H1121 and said^H559, “Who^H4310 are these^H428?”

Gen 48:9

Gen 48:9And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.”

Gen 48:10

Gen 48:10Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then [fn]Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

Gen 48:11

Gen 48:11Then Israel said to Joseph, “I never [fn]expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed as well.”

Gen 48:12

Gen 48:12Then Joseph [fn]took them from his knees and bowed with his face to the ground.

Gen 48:13

Gen 48:13And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

Gen 48:14

Gen 48:14But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, [fn]crossing his hands, [fn]although Manasseh was the firstborn.

Gen 48:15

Gen 48:15And he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God^H430 before^H6440 whom^H834 my fathers^H1 Abraham^H85 and Isaac^H3327 walked^H1980,

The God^H430 who has been my shepherd^H7462 [fn]throughout^H4480^H5750 my life^H5750 to this^H2088 day^H3117,

Gen 48:16

The angel^H4397 who has redeemed^H1350 me from all^H3605 evil^H7451,

Bless^H1288 these boys^H5288;

And may my name^H8034 [fn]live^H7121 on^H7121 in them,

And the [fn]names^H8034 of my fathers^H1 Abraham^H85 and Isaac^H3327;

And may they grow^H1711 into a multitude^H7230 in the midst^H7130 of the earth^H776.”

Gen 48:17

But Joseph^H3130 saw^H7200 that his father^H1 set^H7896 his right^H3225 hand^H3027 on Ephraim’s^H669 head^H7218, and it was displeasing^H7489 in his sight^H5869; so he took^H8551 hold^H8551 of his father’s^H1 hand^H3027 to remove^H5493 it from Ephraim’s^H669 head^H7218 to Manasseh’s^H4519 head^H7218.

Gen 48:18

Gen 48:18And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”

Gen 48:19

Gen 48:19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become the fullness of nations.”

Gen 48:20

Gen 48:20And he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel^H3478 will pronounce^H1288 blessing^H1288, saying^H559,

‘May God^H430 make^H7760 you like Ephraim^H669 and Manasseh^H4519!’”

Thus he put^H7760 Ephraim^H669 before^H6440 Manasseh^H4519.

Gen 48:21