1. It happened after these things, that 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 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 company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.’

5. Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim  and, Manasseh , even as Reuben and  Simeon , will be mine.

6. Your issue, who you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

7. As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem).”

8.  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 here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”

10. Now the eyes of Israel  were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11.  Israel  said to Joseph , “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also.”

12. Joseph  brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13. 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 to him.

14.  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. He blessed Joseph , and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, 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, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and  Isaac . Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17. When Joseph   saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim , it displeased him. He held up 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; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

19. His father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations.”

20. He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel  bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim  and as  Manasseh ’” He set Ephraim  before  Manasseh .

21.  Israel  said to Joseph , “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.

22. Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”