Genesis 48

1Now after these things, word came to Joseph that his father was ill: and he took with him his sons Manasseh and Ephraim.

1After these things, it was told Joseph that his father was sick; and he set out to go to him, taking his two sons Manasses and Ephraim.

1And it cometh to pass, after these things, that <FI>one<Fi> saith to Joseph, `Lo, thy father is sick;' and he taketh his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2And when they said to Jacob, Your son Joseph is coming to see you: then Israel, getting all his strength together, had himself lifted up in his bed.

2And it was told the old man: Behold thy son Joseph cometh to thee. And being strengthened, he sat on his bed.

2And <FI>one<Fi> declareth to Jacob, and saith, `Lo, thy son Joseph is coming unto thee;' and Israel doth strengthen himself, and sit upon the bed.

3And Jacob said to Joseph, God, the Ruler of all, came to me in a vision at Luz in the land of Canaan, and gave me his blessing,

3And when Joseph was come in to him, he said: God almighty appeared to me at Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, and he blessed me,

3And Jacob saith unto Joseph, `God Almighty hath appeared unto me, in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blesseth me,

4And said to me, Truly, I will make you fertile and give you increase and will make of you a great family of nations: and I will give this land to your seed after you to be their heritage for ever.

4And said: I will cause thee to increase and multiply, and I will make of thee a multitude of people: and I will give this land to thee, and to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

4and saith unto me, Lo, I am making thee fruitful, and have multiplied thee, and given thee for an assembly of peoples, and given this land to thy seed after thee, a possession age-during.

5And now your two sons who came to birth in Egypt before I came to you here, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, in the same way as Reuben and Simeon are.

5So thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of Egypt before I came hither to thee, shall be mine: Ephraim and Manasses shall be reputed to me as Ruben and Simeon.

5`And now, thy two sons, who are born to thee in the land of Egypt, before my coming unto thee to Egypt, mine they <FI>are<Fi> ; Ephraim and Manasseh, as Reuben and Simeon they are mine;

6And any other offspring which you have after them, will be yours, and will be named after their brothers in their heritage.

6But the rest whom thou shalt have after them, shall be thine, and shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions.

6and thy family which thou hast begotten after them are thine; by the name of their brethren they are called in their inheritance.

7And as for me, when I came from Paddan, death overtook Rachel on the way, when we were still some distance from Ephrath; and I put her to rest there on the road to Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem.

7For, when I came out of Mesopotamia, Rachel died from me in the land of Chanaan in the very journey, and it was spring time: and I was going to Ephrata, and I buried her near the way of Ephrata, which by another name is called Bethlehem.

7`And I--in my coming in from Padan-<FI> Aram<Fi> Rachel hath died by me in the land of Canaan, in the way, while yet a kibrath of land to enter Ephrata, and I bury her there in the way of Ephrata, which <FI>is<Fi> Bethlehem.'

8Then Israel, looking at Joseph's sons, said, Who are these?

8Then seeing his sons, he said to him: Who are these?

8And Israel seeth the sons of Joseph, and saith, `Who <FI>are<Fi> these?'

9And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this land. And he said, Let them come near me, and I will give them a blessing.

9He answered: They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said: Bring them to me, that I may bless them.

9and Joseph saith unto his father, `They <FI>are<Fi> my sons, whom God hath given to me in this <FI>place<Fi> ;' and he saith, `Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I bless them.'

10Now because Israel was old, his eyes were no longer clear, and he was not able to see. So he made them come near to him, and he gave them a kiss, folding them in his arms.

10For Israel's eyes were dim by reason of his great age, and he could not see clearly. And when they were brought to him, he kissed and embraced them,

10And the eyes of Israel have been heavy from age, he is unable to see; and he bringeth them nigh unto him, and he kisseth them, and cleaveth to them;

11And Israel said to Joseph, I had no hope of seeing your face again, but God in his mercy has let me see you and your children.

11And said to his son: I am not deprived of seeing thee; moreover God hath shewn me thy seed.

11and Israel saith unto Joseph, `To see thy face I had not thought, and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.'

12Then Joseph took them from between his knees, and went down on his face to the earth.

12And when Joseph had taken them from his father's lap, he bowed down with his face to the ground.

12And Joseph bringeth them out from between his knees, and boweth himself on his face to the earth;

13Then taking Ephraim with his right hand, Joseph put him at Israel's left side, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Israel's right side, placing them near him.

13And he set Ephraim on his right hand, that is, towards the left hand of Israel; but Manasses on his left hand, to wit, towards his father's right hand, and brought them near to him.

13and Joseph taketh them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left towards Israel's right, and bringeth <FI>them<Fi> nigh to him.

14And Israel, stretching out his right hand, put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands on purpose, for Manasseh was the older.

14But he, stretching forth his right hand, put it upon the head of Ephraim, the younger brother; and the left upon the head of Manasses, who was the elder, changing his hands.

14And Israel putteth out his right hand, and placeth <FI>it<Fi> upon the head of Ephraim, who <FI>is<Fi> the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh; he hath guided his hands wisely, for Manasseh <FI>is<Fi> the first-born.

15And he gave Joseph a blessing, saying, May the God to whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, gave worship, the God who has taken care of me all my life till this day,

15And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God that feedeth me from my youth until this day:

15And he blesseth Joseph, and saith, `God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked habitually: God who is feeding me from my being unto this day:

16The angel who has been my saviour from all evil, send his blessing on these children: and let my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, be given to them; and let them become a great nation in the earth.

16The angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.

16the Messenger who is redeeming me from all evil doth bless the youths, and my name is called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and they increase into a multitude in the midst of the land.'

17Now when Joseph saw that his father had put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it did not seem right to him; and lifting his father's hand he would have put it on the head of Manasseh.

17And Joseph seeing that his father had put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, was much displeased: and taking his father's hand, he tried to lift it from Ephraim's head, and to remove it to the head of Manasses.

17And Joseph seeth that his father setteth his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it is wrong in his eyes, and he supporteth the hand of his father to turn it aside from off the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh;

18And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father, for this is the older; put your right hand on his head.

18And he said to his father: It should not be so, my father; for this is the firstborn, put thy right hand upon his head.

18and Joseph saith unto his father, `Not so, my father, for this <FI>is<Fi> the first-born; set thy right hand on his head.'

19But his father would not, saying, I am doing it on purpose, my son; he will certainly become a nation and a great one; but his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a great family of nations.

19But he refusing, said: I know, my son, I know: and this also shall become a people, and shall be multiplied; but his younger brother shall be greater than he; and his seed shall grow into nations.

19And his father refuseth, and saith, `I have known, my son, I have known; he also becometh a people, and he also is great, and yet, his young brother is greater than he, and his seed is the fulness of the nations;'

20So he gave them his blessing that day, saying, You will be the sign of blessing in Israel, for they will say, May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh; and he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

20And he blessed them at that time, saying: In thee shall Israel be blessed, and it shall be said: God do to thee as to Ephraim, and as to Manasses. And he set Ephraim before Manasses.

20and he blesseth them in that day, saying, `By thee doth Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh;' and he setteth Ephraim before Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, Now my death is near; but God will be with you, guiding you back to the land of your fathers.

21And he said to Joseph, his son: Behold I die, and God will be with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers.

21And Israel saith unto Joseph, `Lo, I am dying, and God hath been with you, and hath brought you back unto the land of your fathers;

22And I have given you more than your brothers, even Shechem as your heritage, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.

22I give thee a portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorrhite with my sword and bow.

22and I--I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.'