創世記 第 48 章

And it came to pass after these things that it was reported to Joseph, Your father is ill. And taking his two sons, Manasse and Ephraim, he came to Jacob.

And it was reported to Jacob, saying, Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you. And Israel gathered his strength and sat upon the bed.

And Jacob said to Joseph, My God appeared to me in Luza in the land of Chanaan, and blessed me,

and said to me, Behold, I will increase you and multiply you, and make you into gatherings of nations, and I will give this land to you and to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.

Now therefore your two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to you into Egypt are mine; Ephraim and Manasse shall be mine as Ruben and Symeon.

But the offspring you beget after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritances.

And as for me, when I came from Mesopotamia of Syria, Rachel your mother died in the land of Chanaan, as I drew near to the hippodrome of Chabratha of the land, on the way to Ephratha; and I buried her on the way of the hippodrome; this is Bethleem.

And Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said, Who are these to you?

And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God gave me here. And Jacob said, Bring them to me, that I may bless them.

Now the eyes of Israel were dim from old age, and he could not see. And he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I was not deprived of your face, and behold, God has also shown me your seed.

And Joseph brought them out from his knees, and they bowed to him with their face to the ground.

And Joseph took his two sons, Ephraim in his right hand, to Israel's left, and Manasse in his left hand, to Israel's right, and brought them near to him.

And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and his left hand on Manasse's head, crossing his hands.

And he blessed them and said, The God in whose presence my fathers Abraam and Isaac were well-pleasing, the God who has nourished me from my youth until this day,

the angel who delivers me from all evils, may he bless these children; and may my name be called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraam and Isaac; and may they multiply into a great multitude upon the earth.

And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it seemed grievous to him; and Joseph took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head onto Manasse's head.

And Joseph said to his father, Not so, father, for this is the firstborn; lay your right hand on his head.

But he would not, and said, I know, child, I know; this one also shall become a people, and this one shall be exalted; but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

And he blessed them on that day, saying, In you shall Israel be blessed, saying, May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasse. And he set Ephraim before Manasse.

And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

And I give to you Shechem, a choice portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow.