Genesis 48-50

New International Version

Manasseh and Ephraim

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

³ Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty^[a](C) appeared to me at Luz^(D) in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me^{(E) 4} and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers.^(F) I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land^(G) as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’^(H)

⁵ “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt^(I) before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,^(J) just as Reuben^(K) and Simeon^(L) 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,^[b](M) to my sorrow^(N) 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).^(O)

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

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

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

¹⁰ Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.^(T) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them^(U) and embraced them.^(V)

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

¹² Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees^(Z) and bowed down with his face to the ground.^{(AA) 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,^(AB) and brought them close to him. ¹⁴ But Israel^(AC) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,^(AD) though he was the younger,^(AE) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.^(AF)

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

¹⁷ When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand^(AP) on Ephraim’s head^(AQ) 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.”^(AR)

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.^(AS) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,^(AT) and his descendants will become a group of nations.^(AU)” ²⁰ He blessed^(AV) them that day^(AW) 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^[d](BB) and take you^[e] back to the land of your^[f] fathers.^{(BC) 22} And to you I give one more ridge of land^[g](BD) than to your brothers,^(BE) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword^(BF) and my bow.”

Jacob Blesses His Sons^(BG)

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.^(BH)

²⁸ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,^(EE) and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing^(EF) appropriate to him.

The Death of Jacob

²⁹ Then he gave them these instructions:^(EG) “I am about to be gathered to my people.^(EH) Bury me with my fathers^(EI) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,^{(EJ) 30} the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(EK) near Mamre^(EL) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field^(EM) as a burial place^(EN) from Ephron the Hittite. ³¹ There Abraham^(EO) and his wife Sarah^(EP) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah^(EQ) were buried, and there I buried Leah.^{(ER) 32} The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.^[w](ES)”

³³ When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.^(ET)

50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.^{(EU) 2} Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,^{(EV) 3} taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.^(EW)

⁴ When the days of mourning^(EX) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,^(EY) “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(EZ) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ⁵ ‘My father made me swear an oath^(FA) and said, “I am about to die;^(FB) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself^(FC) in the land of Canaan.”^(FD) Now let me go up and bury my father;^(FE) then I will return.’”

⁶ Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials^(FF) accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court^(FG) and all the dignitaries of Egypt— ⁸ besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household.^(FH) Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.^{(FI) 9} Chariots^(FJ) and horsemen^[x] also went up with him. It was a very large company.

¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor^(FK) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;^(FL) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period^(FM) of mourning^(FN) for his father.^{(FO) 11} When the Canaanites^(FP) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”^(FQ) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.^[y]

¹² So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:^{(FR) 13} They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(FS) near Mamre,^(FT) which Abraham had bought along with the field^(FU) as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.^{(FV) 14} After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.^(FW)

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge^(FX) against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”^{(FY) 16} So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions^(FZ) before he died: ¹⁷ ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins^(GA) and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’^(GB) Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.^(GC)” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.^(GD)

¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.^(GE) “We are your slaves,”^(GF) they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?^{(GG) 20} You intended to harm me,^(GH) but God intended^(GI) it for good^(GJ) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.^{(GK) 21} So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.^(GL)” And he reassured them and spoke kindly^(GM) to them.

The Death of Joseph

²² Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years^{(GN) 23} and saw the third generation^(GO) of Ephraim’s^(GP) children.^(GQ) Also the children of Makir^(GR) son of Manasseh^(GS) were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.^[z](GT)

²⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die.^(GU) But God will surely come to your aid^(GV) and take you up out of this land to the land^(GW) he promised on oath to Abraham,^(GX) Isaac^(GY) and Jacob.”^{(GZ) 25} And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath^(HA) and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones^(HB) up from this place.”^(HC)

²⁶ So Joseph died^(HD) at the age of a hundred and ten.^(HE) And after they embalmed him,^(HF) he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.