Lockman - Bible questions and answers

		Gen 48:1 Now some time after these things happened, Joseph was told, "Your father is sick." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him [to go to Goshen].
		Gen 48:2 And when Jacob (Israel) was told, "Look now, your son Joseph has come to you," Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.
		Gen 48:3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan and blessed me,
		Gen 48:4 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 an everlasting possession.' [Gen 28:13-22; 35:6-15]
		Gen 48:5 "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; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine [that is, adopted as my heirs and sons as surely], as Reuben and Simeon are my sons.
		Gen 48:6 "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.
		Gen 48:7 "Now as for me, when I came from Paddan [in Mesopotamia], Rachel 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)."
		Gen 48:8 ¶ When Israel [who was almost blind] saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?"
		Gen 48:9 Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here [in Egypt]." So he said, "Please bring them to me, so that I may bless them."
		Gen 48:10 Now Israel's eyes were so dim from age that he could not see [clearly]. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed and embraced them.
		Gen 48:11 Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, but see, God has shown me your children as well."
		Gen 48:12 Then Joseph took the boys [from his father's embrace], and he bowed [before him] with his face to the ground.
		Gen 48:13 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.
		Gen 48:14 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, crossing his hands [intentionally], even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
		Gen 48:15 Then Jacob (Israel) blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked [in faithful obedience], The God who has been my Shepherd [leading and caring for me] all my life to this day,
		Gen 48:16 The Angel [that is, the LORD Himself] who has redeemed me [continually] from all evil, Bless the boys; And may my name live on in them [may they be worthy of having their names linked with mine], And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a [great] multitude in the midst of the earth."
		Gen 48:17 ¶ When Joseph saw that his father laid 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.
		Gen 48:18 Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; place your right hand on Manasseh's head."
		Gen 48:19 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 greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
		Gen 48:20 Then 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.
		Gen 48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to [Canaan] the land of your fathers.
		Gen 48:22 "Moreover, I have given you [the birthright,] one portion [Shechem, one mountain ridge] more than any of your brothers, which 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]

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