CHAPTER 48
1 And so when these things were done, it was told to Joseph, that his father was sick. And he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and he disposed him to go. (And so after that these things were done, it was told to Joseph, that his father was sick. And he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and he went to him.)
2 And it was said to the eld man, Lo! thy son Joseph cometh to thee; which was comforted (or who was strengthened), and sat up in the bed.
3 And when Joseph entered to him, he said, Almighty God appeared to me in Luz (or Almighty God appeared to me at Luz), which is in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 and (he) said, I shall increase thee, and multiply thee, and I shall make thee into companies of peoples, and I shall give to thee this land, and to thy seed after thee, into everlasting possession, (or and I shall give this land to thee, and to thy descendants after thee, for an everlasting possession).
5 Therefore thy two sons, that be born to thee in the land of Egypt, before that I came hither to thee, shall be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, as Reuben and Simeon, shall be areckoned to me, (or Ephraim and Manasseh, just like Reuben and Simeon, shall be reckoned as mine);
6 forsooth the others which thou shalt beget after them shall be thine; and they shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions (or and they shall be called after the names of their brothers in their inheritance).
7 Forsooth when I came from Mesopotamia, Rachel was dead to me in the land of Canaan, in that way; and it was the beginning of summer; and (before that) I entered into Ephratah, and I buried her beside the way of Ephratah, which by another name is called Bethlehem. (And when I came from Paddan-aram, Rachel died, and left me on the way, in the land of Canaan; and it was the beginning of summer; and before that I entered into Ephrath, I buried her beside the way to Ephrath, which by another name is called Bethlehem.)
8 Forsooth Jacob saw the sons of Joseph, and said to him, Who be these?
9 He answered, They be my sons, which God gave me in this place (or whom God gave to me in this place). Jacob said, Bring them to me, (so) that I bless them.
10 For the eyes of Israel dimmed for great eld (age), and he might not see clearly; and he kissed and embraced those children joined to him, (And Jacob’s eyes had dimmed because of great old age, and he could not see clearly; and when the boys were brought close to him, he kissed them, and embraced them,)
11 and he said to his son, I am not defrauded of thy sight; furthermore God hath showed to me thy seed. (and he said to his son, I am no longer deprived of the sight of you; and even more, God hath showed me thy children.)
12 And when Joseph had taken them from his father’s lap, he worshipped low to the earth (or he bowed low to the ground).
13 And he set Ephraim on his right side, that is, on the left side of Israel; forsooth he set Manasseh on his left side, that is, on the right side of his father; and he joined both to him. (And he put Ephraim on his right side, that is, on Jacob’s left side; and he put Manasseh on his left side, that is, on his father’s right side; and he brought them both close to him.)
14 Which held forth the right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, the younger brother; soothly he laid his left hand on Manasseh’s head, that was the more through birth. Jacob changed his hands, (And Jacob put forth his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, the younger brother; and he laid his left hand on Manasseh’s head, who was the elder. Jacob had crossed his hands,)
15 and blessed his son Joseph*, and said, God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac went; God that feedeth me from my young waxing age till into this present day; (and then he blessed his son Joseph, and said, May God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked; the God who hath fed me from my young age unto this present day;)
16 the angel that delivered me from all evils, bless these children, and my name be called on them, and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and wax they in multitude on (the) earth. (yea, the Angel who delivered me from every evil, bless these boys, and may they be called by my name, and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.)
17 Forsooth Joseph saw that his father had set his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and he took that heavily, and he endeavoured him(self) to raise his father’s hand, and take it from the head of Ephraim, and to bear it over upon the head of Manasseh. (And Joseph saw that his father had put his right hand on Ephraim’s head, and he was displeased, and he endeavoured to raise up his father’s hand, and take it from Ephraim’s head, and to bear it over onto Manasseh’s head.)
18 And Joseph said to his father, Father, it accordeth not so; for this is the first begotten (or for Manasseh is the first-born); set thy right hand on his head.
19 Which forsook to do so, and said, I know, my son, I know; and soothly this child shall be into peoples (or and truly this child shall become a people), and he shall be multiplied; but his younger brother shall be more than he, and his seed shall increase into (a multitude of) folks, (or into a multitude of nations).
20 And he blessed them in that time, and said, Israel shall be blessed in thee, and it shall be said, God do to thee as to Ephraim and as to Manasseh. And he set Ephraim before Manasseh; (And he blessed them at that time, and said, When they say a blessing in Israel, they shall say, God do to thee as to Ephraim and Manasseh. And so he put Ephraim before Manasseh;)
21 and (Jacob) said to Joseph, his son, Lo! I die, and God shall be with you, and shall lead you again to the land of your fathers; (and Jacob said to his son Joseph, Behold! soon I shall die, but God shall be with you, and he shall lead you back to the land of your fathers;)
22 (and now) I give to thee one part over thy brethren, which I took from the hand of Amorite, in my sword and bow. (and now I give thee one more portion than what thy brothers have, which I took from the hands of the Amorites, with my sword and my bow.)
* CHAPTER 48:15 In blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob was in fact blessing Joseph. (Good News Bible)