1 And after these things it was said to Joseph: “Look, your father is sick.” And he took with him his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, and it was said: “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you.” And Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.

3 And Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Look, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make you into a company of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, they shall be mine like Reuben and Simeon. 6 And your offspring, that you fathered after them, shall be yours; they shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 And as for me, when I came from Paddan Aram, Rachel, your mother, died by me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath—that is, Bethlehem.”

8 And Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said: “Who are these to you?” 9 And Joseph said to his father: “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said: “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near to him, and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph: “I had not thought to see your face, and look, God has let me see your offspring also.” 12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and they bowed themselves to the earth before him. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and came closer to him.

14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his arms, for Manasseh was the first-born. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16 the king who has redeemed me from all evil, bless these boys,⁠a and let my name be carried by them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. And let them grow into a multitude in the middle of the earth.”

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father: “Not so, my father, for this is the first-born. Put your right hand on his head.” 19 And his father refused, and said: “I know it, my son, I know it. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great, although his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 And he blessed them that day, saying: “In you Israel will be blessed, saying: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’” And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 And Israel said to Joseph: “Look, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to you one Shechem above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”