Daily Bread

²⁸ Jacob lived in Egypt^(A) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.^{(B) 29} When the time drew near for Israel^(C) to die,^(D) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(E) put your hand under my thigh^(F) and promise that you will show me kindness^(G) and faithfulness.^(H) Do not bury me in Egypt, ³⁰ but when I rest with my fathers,^(I) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”^(J)

“I will do as you say,” he said.

³¹ “Swear to me,”^(K) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,^(L) and Israel^(M) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.^[a](N)

Manasseh and Ephraim

48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim^(O) along with him. ² When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel^(P) rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

³ Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty^[b](Q) appeared to me at Luz^(R) in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me^{(S) 4} and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers.^(T) I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land^(U) as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’^(V)

⁵ “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt^(W) before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,^(X) just as Reuben^(Y) and Simeon^(Z) are mine. ⁶ Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. ⁷ As I was returning from Paddan,^[c](AA) to my sorrow^(AB) Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).^(AC)

⁸ When Israel^(AD) saw the sons of Joseph,^(AE) he asked, “Who are these?”

⁹ “They are the sons God has given me here,”^(AF) Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless^(AG) them.”

¹⁰ Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.^(AH) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them^(AI) and embraced them.^(AJ)

¹¹ Israel^(AK) said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,^(AL) and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”^(AM)

¹² Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees^(AN) and bowed down with his face to the ground.^{(AO) 13} And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand,^(AP) and brought them close to him. ¹⁴ But Israel^(AQ) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,^(AR) though he was the younger,^(AS) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.^(AT)

¹⁵ Then he blessed^(AU) Joseph and said,

¹⁷ When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand^(BD) on Ephraim’s head^(BE) he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”^(BF)

¹⁹ But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.^(BG) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,^(BH) and his descendants will become a group of nations.^(BI)” ²⁰ He blessed^(BJ) them that day^(BK) and said,

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

²¹ Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you^[e](BP) and take you^[f] back to the land of your^[g] fathers.^{(BQ) 22} And to you I give one more ridge of land^[h](BR) than to your brothers,^(BS) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword^(BT) and my bow.”