Genesis 48

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Some time later, Joseph was informed, 'Your father has been taken il .' So he took with him his twosons Manasseh and Ephraim.	1 After these things were done, it was reported to Joseph that his father was sick. And taking his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim, he went directly to him.
2 When Jacob was told, 'Look, your son Joseph has come to you,' Israel, summoning his strength, satup in bed.	2 And it was told to the old man, “Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you.” And being strengthened, he sat up in bed.
3 'El Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in Canaan,' Jacob told Joseph, 'and he blessed me,	3 And when he had entered to him, he said: “Almighty God appeared to me at Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, and he blessed 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 And he said: ‘I will increase and multiply you, and I will make you influential among the people. And I will give this land to you, and to your offspring after you, as an everlasting 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 Therefore, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came here to you, will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be treated by me just like Reuben and Simeon.
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 But the remainder, whom you will conceive after them, will be yours, and they will be called by the name of their brothers among their possessions.
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 As for me, when I came from Mesopotamia, Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the very journey, and it was springtime. And I entered Ephrath and buried her next to the way of Ephrath, which by another name is called Bethlehem.”
8 When Israel saw Joseph's two sons, he asked, 'Who are these?'	8 Then, seeing his sons, he said to him: “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 He responded, “They are my sons, whom God gave to me as a gift in this place.” “Bring them to me,” he said, “so 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 For Israel’s eyes were clouded by reason of his great age, and he was unable to see clearly. And when they were placed up against 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 And he said to his son: “I have not been cheated out of seeing you. Moreover, God has shown me your offspring.”
12 Then Joseph took them from his lap and bowed to the ground.	12 And when Joseph had taken them from his father’s lap, he reverenced prone on 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 And he placed Ephraim on his right, that is, towards the left hand of Israel. Yet truly Manasseh was on his left, namely, towards his father’s right hand. And he placed them both up against 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 And he, extending his right hand, placed it over the head of Ephraim, the younger brother, but the left hand was on the head of Manasseh, who was the elder, so that his hands were crossed.
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 And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and he said: “God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God who pastured me from my youth until the present 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 rescues me from all evils: bless these boys. And let my name be invoked over them, and also the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. And may they increase into a multitude across 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 But Joseph, seeing that his father had placed his right hand over the head of Ephraim, took it gravely. And grasping his father’s hand, he tried to lift it from Ephraim’s head and transfer it onto the head of Manasseh.
18 Joseph protested to his father, 'Not like that, father! This one is the elder; put your right hand on hishead.'	18 And he said to his father: “It should not have come to pass this way, father. For this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand over 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 refusing, he said: “I know, my son, I know. And this one, indeed, will be among the people and will be multiplied. But his younger brother will be greater than he. And his offspring will increase among the 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 And he blessed them at that time, saying: “In you, Israel will be blessed, and it will be said: ‘May God treat you like Ephraim, and like Manasseh.’ ” And he established 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 And he said to his son Joseph: “See, I am dying, and God will be with you, and he will lead you back 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 I give you one part beyond that of your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”