Y sucedió que después de estas cosas, le dijeron a José¹: He aquí, tu padre está enfermo. Y él tomó consigo a sus dos hijos, Manasés y Efraín^a. 2 Cuando se le avisó a Jacob diciendo¹: He aquí, tu hijo José ha venido a ti, Israel hizo un esfuerzo² y se sentó en la cama. 3 Entonces Jacob dijo a José: El Dios Todopoderoso^1a se me apareció en Luz^b, en la tierra de Canaán; me bendijo, 4 y me dijo: «He aquí, yo te haré fecundo y te multiplicaré; y haré de ti multitud de pueblos y daré esta tierra a tu descendencia¹ después de ti en posesión perpetua^a». 5 Ahora pues, tus dos hijos que te nacieron en la tierra de Egipto, antes de que yo viniera a ti a Egipto, míos son; Efraín y Manasés^a serán míos, como lo son Rubén^b y Simeón. 6 Pero los hijos¹ que has engendrado después de ellos, serán tuyos; serán llamados por el nombre de sus hermanos en su heredad. 7 En cuanto a mí, cuando vine de Padán^a, Raquel se me murió¹ en la tierra de Canaán, en el camino, cuando faltaba todavía cierta distancia para llegar a Efrata, y la sepulté allí en el camino a Efrata, esto es Belén^b.

8 Cuando Israel vio a los hijos de José^a, dijo: ¿Quiénes sonestos? 9 Y José respondió a su padre: Son mis hijos, los que Dios me ha dado aquí^a. Y él dijo: Acércalos a mí, te ruego, para que yo los bendiga^b. 10 Y los ojos de Israel estaban tan débiles por la vejez que no podía ver^a. Entonces José se los acercó, y él los besó^b y los abrazó. 11 E Israel dijo a José: Nunca esperaba¹ ver tu rostro, y he aquí, Dios me ha permitido ver también a tus hijos². 12 Entonces José los tomó de las¹ rodillas de Jacob, y se inclinó con su rostro en tierra^a. 13 Y José tomó a los dos, a Efraín con la derecha, hacia la izquierda de Israel, y a Manasés con la izquierda, hacia la derecha de Israel, y se los acercó. 14 Pero Israel extendió su derecha y la puso sobre la cabeza de Efraín, que era el menor, y su izquierda sobre la cabeza de Manasés, cruzando adrede sus manos, aunque¹ Manasés era el primogénito^a. 15 Y bendijo a José, y dijo:El Dios delante de quien anduvieron mis padres Abraham e Isaac^a,el Dios que ha sido mi pastor^b toda mi vida¹ hasta este día,

17 Cuando José vio que su padre había puesto su mano derecha sobre la cabeza de Efraín^a, esto le desagradó; y asió la mano de su padre para cambiarla de la cabeza de Efraín a la cabeza de Manasés. 18 Y José dijo a su padre: No sea así, padre mío, pueseste es el primogénito. Pon tu derecha sobre su cabeza. 19 Mas su padre rehusó y dijo: Lo sé, hijo mío, lo sé; él también llegará a ser un pueblo, y él también será grande. Sin embargo, su hermano menor será más grande que él, y su descendencia¹ llegará a ser multitud² de naciones^a. 20 Y los bendijo aquel día^a, diciendo:Por ti¹ bendecirá Israel, diciendo:Que Dios te haga como Efraín y Manasés.Así puso a Efraín antes de Manasés. 21 Entonces Israel dijo a José: He aquí, yo estoy a punto de morir, pero Dios estará con vosotros^a y os hará volver a la tierra de vuestros padres^b. 22 Y yo te doy una parte¹ más que a tus hermanos, la cual tomé de mano del amorreo^a con mi espada y con mi arco.

Now it came about after these things that ¹Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons ^aManasseh and Ephraim with him. 2 When ¹it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel ²collected his strength and sat ³up in the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “^1aGod Almighty appeared to me at ^bLuz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your ¹descendants after you for ^aan everlasting possession.’ 5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; ^aEphraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as ^bReuben and Simeon are. 6 But your offspring that ¹have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the ²names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 Now as for me, when I came from ^aPaddan, ^bRachel died, ¹to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8 When Israel ^asaw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “^aThey are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that ^bI may bless them.” 10 Now ^athe eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then ¹Joseph brought them close to him, and he ^bkissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never ¹expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your ²children as well.” 12 Then Joseph ¹took them from his knees, and ^abowed with his face to the ground. 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, ¹crossing his hands, ²although ^aManasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said,“^aThe God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,^bThe God who has been my shepherd ¹all my life to this day,

17 When Joseph saw that his father ^alaid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped 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 one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But 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 shall be greater than he, and ^ahis ¹descendants shall become a ²multitude of nations.” 20 ^aHe blessed them that day, saying,“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but ^aGod will be with you, and ^bbring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 I give you one ¹portion more than your brothers, ^awhich I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Now some time after these things happened, Joseph was told, “Your father is sick.” So he took his two sons ^aManasseh and Ephraim with him to go to Goshen. 2 And when Jacob (Israel) was told, “Look now, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “^1aGod Almighty appeared to me at ^bLuz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a great company of people, and will give this land to your descendants after you as ^aan everlasting possession.’ Gen 28:13-22; 35:6-15 5 Now your two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; ^1aEphraim and Manasseh shall be mine that is, adopted as my heirs and sons as surely, as ^bReuben and Simeon are my sons. 6 But other sons who were born to you after them shall be your own; they shall be called by the names of their two brothers in their inheritance. 7 Now as for me, when I came from ^aPaddan in Mesopotamia, ^bRachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8 When Israel who was almost blind ^asaw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “^aThey are my sons, whom God has given me here in Egypt.” So he said, “Please bring them to me, so that ^bI may bless them.” 10 Now ^aIsrael’s eyes were so dim from age that he could not see clearly. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he ^bkissed and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, but see, God has shown me your children as well.” 12 Then Joseph took the boys from his father’s embrace, and he ^abowed before him with his face to the ground. 13 Then Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, ¹crossing his hands intentionally, even though ^aManasseh was the firstborn. 15 Then Jacob (Israel) blessed Joseph, and said,“^aThe God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked in faithful obedience,^bThe God who has been my Shepherd leading and caring for me all my life to this day,

17 When Joseph saw that his father ^alaid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him because he was not the firstborn; and he grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; place your right hand on Manasseh’s head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; Manasseh also will become a people and he will be great; but his younger brother shall be ¹greater than he, and ^ahis descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 ^aThen Jacob blessed them that day, saying,“By you Israel will pronounce a blessing, saying,‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”And he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but ^aGod will be with you, and ^bbring you back to Canaan the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover, I have given you the ¹birthright, one portion Shechem, one mountain ridge more than any of your brothers, ^awhich I took reclaiming it from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.” Gen 33:18, 19; Josh 24:32, 33; John 4:5