Genesis 48:1-49:28

Manasseh and Ephraim 1Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him.

2When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. 3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty Hebrew El-Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me

4and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’ 5“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.

7As I was returning from Paddan, That is, Northwest Mesopotamia to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).

8When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”

9“They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”

10Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

11Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.” 12Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him.

14But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

15Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

16the Angel who has delivered me from all harm —may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly on the earth.” 17When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.

18Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” 19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.”

20He blessed them that day and said, “In your The Hebrew is singular. name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ ” So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. 21Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you The Hebrew is plural. and take you The Hebrew is plural. back to the land of your The Hebrew is plural. fathers. 22And to you I give one more ridge of land The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem. than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Jacob Blesses His Sons 1Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

4Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

5“Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. are weapons of violence.

6Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.

7Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

8“Judah, Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise. your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you.

9You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Or from his descendants until he to whom it belongs Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

11He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk

13“Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.

14“Issachar is a rawboned Or strong donkey lying down among the sheep pens. Or the campfires; or the saddlebags

15When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.

16“Dan Dan here means he provides justice. will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

18“I look for your deliverance, LORD .

19“Gad Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders. will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.

20“Asher’s food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

21“Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. Or free; / he utters beautiful words

22“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill

23With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.

24But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed Or archers will attack… will shoot… will remain… will stay limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, Hebrew Shaddai who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb.

26Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than Or of my progenitors, / as great as the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among Or of the one separated from his brothers.

27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.