# Genesis 48 (New King James Version)
Jacob Blesses Joseph's Sons

##### Chapter 48
###### 1 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, "Indeed your father _is_ sick"; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.  
###### 2 And Jacob was told, "Look, your son Joseph is coming to you"; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.  
###### 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,  
###### 4 and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you _as_ an everlasting possession.'  
###### 5 And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, _are_ mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.  
###### 6 Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.  
###### 7 But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when _there was_ but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

###### 8 Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, "Who _are_ these?"

###### 9 Joseph said to his father, "They _are_ my sons, whom God has given me in this _place._"
And he said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them."  
###### 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, _so that_ he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.  
###### 11 And Israel said to Joseph, "I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!"

###### 12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth.  
###### 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought _them_ near him.  
###### 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid _it_ on Ephraim's head, who _was_ the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh _was_ the firstborn.  
###### 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said:
"God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,  
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,  

###### 16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil,  
Bless the lads;  
Let my name be named upon them,  
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;  
And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

###### 17 Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.  
###### 18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for 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 also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

###### 20 So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!' " And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

###### 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.  
###### 22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."