Genesis 48:1-22 KJ21

[1] And it came to pass after these things that one told Joseph, "Behold, thy father is sick"; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. [2] And one told Jacob and said, "Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee"; and Israel strengthened himself and sat upon the bed. [3] And Jacob said unto Joseph, "God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me [4] and said unto me, 'Behold, I will make thee fruitful and multiply thee; and I will make of thee a multitude of people, and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.' [5] And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. [6] And thy issue whom thou begettest after them shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. [7] And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath" (the same is Bethlehem). [8] And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?" [9] And Joseph said unto his father, "They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place." And he said, "Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them." [10] (Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see.) And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them and embraced them. [11] And Israel said unto Joseph, "I had not thought to see thy face; and lo, God hath shown me also thy seed." [12] And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. [13] And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. [14] And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. [15] And he blessed Joseph and said, "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who fed me all my life long unto this day, [16] the Angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." [17] And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he held up his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. [18] And Joseph said unto his father, "Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put thy right hand upon his head." [19] And his father refused and said, "I know it, my son, I know it. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." [20] And he blessed them that day, saying, "In thee shall Israel bless, saying, 'God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh.'" And he set Ephraim before Manasseh. [21] And Israel said unto Joseph, "Behold, I die; but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. [22] Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."