Gênesis 48

¹ And it came to pass after these things, that [one] told Joseph, Behold, thy father [is] sick: and he took with him hisJoseph valued his children being received into Jacob's family, which was the Church of God, more than enjoying all the treasures of Egypt.two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

² Also one told Iaakob, and said, Behold, thy sonne Ioseph is come to thee, and Israel tooke his strength vnto him and sate vpon the bed.

³ Then Iaakob sayde vnto Ioseph, God almightie appeared vnto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me.

⁴ And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee [for] anWhich is true in the carnal Israel until the coming of Christ, and in the spiritual forever.everlasting possession.

⁵ And now thy two sonnes, Manasseh & Ephraim, which are borne vnto thee in the lande of Egypt, before I came to thee into Egypt, shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are mine.

⁶ But the linage, which thou hast begotten after them, shalbe thine: they shall be called after the names of their brethren in their inheritance.

⁷ Nowe when I came from Padan, Rahel died vpon mine hande in the lande of Canaan, by the way when there was but halfe a dayes iourney of grounde to come to Ephrath: and I buryed her there in the way to Ephrath: the same is Beth-lehem.

⁸ Then Israel beheld Iosephs sonnes & sayd, Whose are these?

⁹ And Joseph said unto his father, They [are] my sons, whomThe faithful acknowledge all benefits come from God's free mercy.God hath given me in this [place]. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

¹⁰ (For the eyes of Israel were dimme for age, so that hee coulde not well see) Then he caused them to come to him, & he kissed them and embraced them.

¹¹ And Israel sayde vnto Ioseph, I had not thought to haue seene thy face: yet lo, God hath shewed me also thy seede.

¹² And Ioseph tooke them away from his knees, & did reuerence downe to the ground.

¹³ Then tooke Ioseph them both, Ephraim in his right hand towarde Israels left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israels right hand, so he brought them vnto him.

¹⁴ And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid [it] uponGod's judgments are often contrary to man's and he prefers what man despises.Ephraim's head, who [was] the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh [was] the firstborn.

¹⁵ Also he blessed Ioseph and sayde, The God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Izhak did walke, the God, which hath fed me al my life long vnto this day, blesse thee.

¹⁶ TheThis angel must be understood to be Christ, as in (Gen_31:13, Gen_32:1).Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let myLet them be taken as my children.name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

¹⁷ And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, itJoseph fails by binding God's grace to the order of nature.displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

¹⁸ And Ioseph sayde vnto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the eldest: put thy right hand vpon his head.

¹⁹ But his father refused, & sayd, I know well, my sonne, I know well: he shalbe also a people, and he shalbe great likewise: but his yonger brother shalbe greater then he, and his seede shall be full of nations.

²⁰ And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee asIn whom God's graces should manifestly appear.Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹ And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land ofWhich they had by faith in the promise.your fathers.

²² Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, whichBy my children whom God spared for my sake.I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.