| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Some time after this, Joseph was told, "Your father is weaker." So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. | 1Some time later, somebody informed Joseph, "Your father is ill!" So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him to visit Jacob. |
| 2When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. | 2As soon as Jacob was informed, "Look! Your son Joseph has come to visit you," Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed. |
| 3Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. | 3Jacob reminded Joseph, "God Almighty revealed himself to me at Luz in Canaan and blessed me. |
| 4He said to me, 'I will make you fruitful and numerous; I will make many nations come from you, and I will give this land as an eternal possession to your future descendants.' | 4He told me, 'Pay attention! I'm going to make you fruitful and numerous. I'm going to build you into a vast nation of people and then I'll give this land to your descendants for an eternal possession.' |
| 5Your two sons born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine. Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do. | 5You have two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to be with you, whom I now take as my own. Ephraim and Manasseh are mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. |
| 6Children born to you after them will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. | 6Your descendants are to be reckoned as yours, but are to be referred to among the names of their brothers in their respective inheritances. |
| 7When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way, some distance from Ephrath in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way to Ephrath," (that is, Bethlehem). | 7"Now as for me, Rachel died after I arrived in Canaan from Paddan, much to my sorrow. While I was on my journey to Ephrathah (also known as Bethlehem), I buried her there." |
| 8When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?" | 8Just then, Israel saw Joseph's sons and asked, "Who are these?" |
| 9And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons God has given me here." So Jacob said, "Bring them to me and I will bless them." | 9"These are my sons," Joseph replied. "God gave them to me here in Egypt." "Please bring them close to me," Jacob said, "so I can bless them." |
| 10Now his eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought them to him, and he kissed and embraced them. | 10Now Israel's eyesight had become poor from age. Because he couldn't see well, Joseph brought them close to him, and Israel kissed them both and embraced them. |
| 11Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, but now God has even let me see your offspring." | 11Then he told Joseph, "I never thought I'd see you again, and now God has allowed me to see your children as well!" |
| 12Then Joseph took them from his father's knees and bowed with his face to the ground. | 12Joseph took them off his knees and then bowed low with his face to the ground. |
| 13Then Joseph took them both--with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel's left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel's right--and brought them to Israel. | 13Then he brought them both close to his father, placing Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right. |
| 14But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and crossing his hands, put his left on Manasseh's head, although Manasseh was the firstborn. | 14But Israel stretched out his right hand, laying it on Ephraim's head (he was the younger son) and laying his left hand on Manasseh's head (even though Manasseh was the firstborn). |
| 15Then he blessed Joseph and said: The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, | 15Then Israel blessed Joseph by saying: "May the God in whose presence my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has continued shepherding me my whole life even until today, |
| 16the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm-- may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow to be numerous within the land. | 16the angel who has been rescuing me from all sorts of evil, bless these young men. May my name continue to live on within them, including the names of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a vast multitude throughout the earth." |
| 17When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought it was a mistake and took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's. | 17But Joseph observed that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim's head. That displeased him, so he grabbed his father's hand and started to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. |
| 18Joseph said to his father, "Not that way, my father! This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head." | 18"No, father, this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head." |
| 19But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know! He too will become a tribe, and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation." | 19But his father refused. "I know," he said. "I know. He's going to produce a large nation, and he's going to be very great. However, his younger brother will become even greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations." |
| 20So he blessed them that day with these words: The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying," May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh," putting Ephraim before Manasseh. | 20That very day, Jacob blessed them with this blessing: "By you Israel will extend this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" By doing this, he placed Ephraim before Manasseh. |
| 21Then Israel said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. | 21Then Israel told Joseph, "Pay attention! I'm about to die, but God will be with you. He'll bring you back to the land that belongs to your ancestors. |
| 22Over and above what I am giving your brothers, I am giving you the one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow." | 22I'm assigning you one portion more than your brothers from the land that I confiscated from the control of the Amorites in battle." |
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