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48
1 After these things, someone said to Joseph [May he add], “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh [Causing to forget] and Ephraim [Fruit]. 2 Someone told Jacob [Supplanter], and said, “Behold, your son Joseph [May he add] comes to you,” and Israel [God prevails] strengthened himself, and sat on the bed. 3 Jacob [Supplanter] said to Joseph [May he add], “El Shaddai [God Almighty] appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan [Humbled], 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 offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ * Quoted in Acts 7:5 5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery] before I came to you into Egypt [Abode of slavery], are mine; Ephraim [Fruit] and Manasseh [Causing to forget], even as Reuben [See, a son!] and Simeon [Hearing], will be mine. 6 Your issue, whom 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 [Ewe sheep] died by me in the land of Canaan [Humbled] on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem [House of Bread]).”
8 Israel [God prevails] saw Joseph [May he add]’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9 Joseph [May he add] 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.” (2) 10 Now the eyes of Israel [God prevails] 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 [God prevails] said to Joseph [May he add], “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” 12 Joseph [May he add] brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 Joseph [May he add] took them both, Ephraim [Fruit] in his right hand toward Israel [God prevails]’s left hand, and Manasseh [Causing to forget] in his left hand toward Israel [God prevails]’s right hand, and brought them near to him. 14 Israel [God prevails] stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim [Fruit]’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh [Causing to forget]’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh [Causing to forget] was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph [May he add], and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham [Father of a multitude] and Isaac [Laughter] 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, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham [Father of a multitude] and Isaac [Laughter]. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
(3) 17 When Joseph [May he add] saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim [Fruit], it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim [Fruit]’s head to Manasseh [Causing to forget]’s head. 18 Joseph [May he add] 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 offspring will become a multitude of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel [God prevails] bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim [Fruit] and as Manasseh [Causing to forget]’ ” He set Ephraim [Fruit] before Manasseh [Causing to forget]. 21 Israel [God prevails] said to Joseph [May he add], “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 [Descendants of Talkers] with my sword and with my bow.”

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*48:4 Quoted in Acts 7:5

© 2016 Thomas Robinson