Genesis 48 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons

48 After this Joseph was told, ‘Your father is ill.’ So he took with him his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, ‘Your son Joseph has come to you’, he[a] summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, ‘God Almighty[b] appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and he blessed me, 4 and said to me, “I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers; I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for a perpetual holding.” 5 Therefore your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are now mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 As for the offspring born to you after them, they shall be yours. They shall be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7 For when I came from Paddan, Rachel, alas, died in the land of Canaan on the way, while there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath’ (that is, Bethlehem).

8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, ‘Who are these?’ 9 Joseph said to his father, ‘They are my sons, whom God has given me here.’ And he said, ‘Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.’ 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, and he could not see well. So Joseph brought them near him; and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, ‘I did not expect to see your face; and here God has let me see your children also.’ 12 Then Joseph removed them from his father’s knees,[c] and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel’s left, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israel’s right, and brought them near him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said,

‘The God before whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the boys;
and in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac;
and let them grow into a multitude on the earth.’

17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, ‘Not so, my father! Since 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. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.’ 20 So he blessed them that day, saying,

‘By you[d] Israel will invoke blessings, saying,
“God make you[e] like Ephraim and like 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 will bring you again to the land of your ancestors. 22 I now give to you one portion[f] more than to your brothers, the portion[g] that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.’

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 48:2 Heb Israel
  2. Genesis 48:3 Traditional rendering of Heb El Shaddai
  3. Genesis 48:12 Heb from his knees
  4. Genesis 48:20 you here is singular in Heb
  5. Genesis 48:20 you here is singular in Heb
  6. Genesis 48:22 Or mountain-slope (Heb shekem, a play on the name of the town and district of Shechem)
  7. Genesis 48:22 Or mountain-slope (Heb shekem, a play on the name of the town and district of Shechem)

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Genesis 48 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

48 And it cometh to pass, after these things, that [one] saith to Joseph, `Lo, thy father is sick;' and he taketh his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And [one] declareth to Jacob, and saith, `Lo, thy son Joseph is coming unto thee;' and Israel doth strengthen himself, and sit upon the bed...
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Genesis 48 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

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. (And so after that these things were done, it was told to Joseph, that his father was sick. And he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephrai...
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Genesis 48 - World English Bible (WEB)

48 After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appe...
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Genesis 48 - The Voice (VOICE)

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Genesis 48 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh48 After these things, someone told Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him. 2 When someone told Jacob, saying, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel summoned his strength and sat up in the bed. 3 The...
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Genesis 48 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons48 After this Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill”; so he took with him his two sons, Manas′seh and E′phraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you”; then Israel summoned his strength, and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Al...
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Genesis 48 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons48 After this Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill”; so he took with him his two sons, Manas′seh and E′phraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you”; then Israel summoned his strength, and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Al...
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Genesis 48 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons48 After this Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” he[a] summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[b] appeared to ...
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Genesis 48 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons48 After this Joseph was told, ‘Your father is ill.’ So he took with him his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, ‘Your son Joseph has come to you’, he[a] summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, ‘God Almighty[b] appeared to m...
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Genesis 48 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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Genesis 48 - New Living Translation (NLT)

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Genesis 48 - New Life Version (NLV)

Jacob and Joseph’s Sons48 After this Joseph was told, “See, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel gathered his strength and sat up in bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “The All-powerful God show...
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Genesis 48 - New King James Version (NKJV)

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Genesis 48 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Manasseh and Ephraim48 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[a] appeared t...
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Genesis 48 - New International Version (NIV)

Manasseh and Ephraim48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim(A) along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel(B) rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[a](C) ap...
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Genesis 48 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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Genesis 48 - New English Translation (NET)

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