Genesis 48:1-22

Not long afterward, Joseph received the news that his father’s health was failing, so he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. When Jacob heard that they had come to see him, Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed. Jacob said to Joseph, “The God who is more than enough appeared to me at Bethel in the land of Canaan where he blessed me! He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and multiply your descendants until I have made you a company of nations. And I will give this land to your descendants for an everlasting possession.’ Furthermore, I will adopt as my very own your two sons who were born in the land of Egypt before I came here. Yes, I claim Ephraim and Manasseh as mine, no less than my two oldest, Reuben and Simeon. As for any children born after them, they will be considered yours. They will receive their portion of the inheritance in the same territory as their brothers. For when I was returning from Paddan-Aram, my beloved Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan while we were still on our way, not far from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” When Israel noticed Joseph’s two sons, he said, “Who are these?” “They are the sons that God has graciously given me here,” Joseph said to his father. “Please bring them closer,” he said, “so that I may bless them.” Now Israel could barely see, for his eyes were failing because of old age. So, Joseph brought his sons closer to him, and Joseph’s father, their grandfather, hugged and kissed them. Tearfully, Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought I’d see your face again, and now, God has let me see my grandchildren as well!” Joseph then removed them from his father’s knees and bowed low in respect before his father with his face to the ground. And Joseph took his sons and had them stand facing their grandfather Israel, Ephraim at Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh at Israel’s right hand. But Israel crossed his arms, and stretched out his right hand on the head of the younger son, Ephraim, and his left hand on the head of the firstborn son, Manasseh. He spoke this blessing over them: “May the God of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, who lived devoted to him, the God who has been my Shepherd from my birth until this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm, may he bless these boys! May their lives echo my name, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. May they multiply into teeming multitudes throughout the earth!” When Joseph saw his father place his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was not happy, so he tried to move his father’s hand from Ephraim to Manasseh’s head. “Not that way,” Joseph said to his father, “Here, father, put your right hand on the firstborn’s head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. Manasseh’s descendants will also multiply and become a great people. His younger brother will become even greater than he, and his tribe will one day give rise to many nations.” So Jacob blessed them that day, saying, “Israel will use your names when they pronounce blessings! They will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh!’ ” So the crossing of his arms during Jacob’s blessing put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. Then Israel said to Joseph, “Son, I will die soon, but God’s presence will go with you, and one day, he will take you back to the land of your ancestors. I give you one mountain slope more than your brothers, the mountain slope of Shechem, the fertile region I took from the Amorites with my own sword and my own bow.”