Genesis 48

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Some time later, Joseph was informed, 'Your father has been taken il .' So he took with him his twosons Manasseh and Ephraim.	1 Some time afterward, Joseph was informed, "Your father is failing." So he took along with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 When Jacob was told, 'Look, your son Joseph has come to you,' Israel, summoning his strength, satup in bed.	2 When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," he rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
3 'El Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in Canaan,' Jacob told Joseph, 'and he blessed me,	3 Jacob then said to Joseph: "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessing me,
4 saying to me, "I shall make you fruitful and numerous, and shal make you into an assembly ofpeoples and give this country to your descendants after you, to own in perpetuity."	4 he said, 'I will make you fertile and numerous and raise you into an assembly of tribes, and I will give this land to your descendants after you as a permanent possession.'
5 Now your two sons, born to you in Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, shal be mine; Ephraim andManasseh shall be as much mine as Reuben and Simeon.	5 Your two sons, therefore, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I joined you here, shall be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine as much as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
6 But with regard to the children you have had since them, they shall be yours, and they shal be knownby their brothers' names for the purpose of their inheritance.	6 Progeny born to you after them shall remain yours; but their heritage shall be recorded in the names of their two brothers.
7 'When I was on my way from Paddan, to my sorrow death took your mother Rachel from me inCanaan, on the journey while only a short distance from Ephrath. I buried her there on the road to Ephrath --now Bethlehem.'	7 I do this because, when I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel died, to my sorrow, during the journey in Canaan, while we were still a short distance from Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."
8 When Israel saw Joseph's two sons, he asked, 'Who are these?'	8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are these?"
9 'They are my sons, whom God has given me here,' Joseph told his father. 'Then bring them to me', hesaid, 'so that I may bless them.'	9 "They are my sons," Joseph answered his father, "whom God has given me here." "Bring them to me," said his father, "that I may bless them."
10 Now, Israel's eyes were dim with age, and he could not see. So Joseph made them come closer tohim and he kissed and embraced them.	10 (Now Israel's eyes were dim from age, and he could not see well.) When Joseph brought his sons close to him, he kissed and embraced them.
11 Then Israel said to Joseph, 'I did not think I should ever see you again, and now God has let me seeyour children as wel !'	11 Then Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your descendants as well!"
12 Then Joseph took them from his lap and bowed to the ground.	12 Joseph removed them from his father's knees and bowed down before him with his face to the ground.
13 Then Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim with his right hand so that he should be on Israel's left,and Manasseh with his left hand, so that he should be on Israel's right, and brought them close to him.	13 Then Joseph took the two, Ephraim with his right hand, to Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand, to Israel's right, and led them to him.
14 But Israel held out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left on thehead of Manasseh, crossing his hands -- Manasseh was, in fact, the elder.	14 But Israel, crossing his hands, put out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, although he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, although he was the first-born.
15 Then he blessed Joseph saying: May the God in whose presence my fathers Abraham and Isaacwalked, the God who has been my shepherd from my birth until this day,	15 Then he blessed them with these words: "May the God in whose ways my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd from my birth to this day,
16 the Angel who has saved me from al harm, bless these boys, so that my name may live on in them,and the names of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac, and they grow into teeming multitudes on earth!	16 The Angel who has delivered me from all harm, bless these boys That in them my name be recalled, and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, And they may become teeming multitudes upon the earth!"
17 Joseph saw that his father was laying his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and this he thought waswrong, so he took his father's hand and tried to shift it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh.	17 When Joseph saw that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, this seemed wrong to him; so he took hold of his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's,
18 Joseph protested to his father, 'Not like that, father! This one is the elder; put your right hand on hishead.'	18 saying, "That is not right, father; the other one is the first-born; lay your right hand on his head!"
19 But his father refused. 'I know, my son, I know,' he said. 'He too shal become a people; he too wilbe great. But his younger brother wil be greater, his offspring wil be sufficient to constitute nations.'	19 But his father resisted. "I know it, son," he said, "I know. That one too shall become a tribe, and he too shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall surpass him, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
20 So he blessed them that day, saying: By you shal Israel bless itself, saying, 'God make you likeEphraim and Manasseh!' putting Ephraim before Manasseh.	20 So when he blessed them that day and said, "By you shall the people of Israel pronounce blessings; may they say, 'God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,'" he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, 'Now I am about to die. But God will be with you and take you back to theland of your ancestors.	21 Then Israel said to Joseph: "I am about to die. But God will be with you and will restore you to the land of your fathers.
22 As for me, I give you a Shechem more than your brothers, the one I took from the Amorites with mysword and bow.'	22 As for me, I give to you, as to the one above his brothers, Shechem, which I captured from the Amorites with my sword and bow."