1 And it came to pass after these things, that [one] told Joseph, Behold, thy father [is] sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And [one] told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto 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] an everlasting possession.
5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, [are] mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, [and] shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet [there was] but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same [is] Bethlehem.
8 And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who [are] these?
9 And Joseph said unto his father, They [are] my sons, whom God hath given me in this [place]. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, [so that] he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.
12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
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 brought [them] near unto him.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid [it] upon 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 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my 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, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.
18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this [is] the firstborn; put thy right hand upon 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: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as 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 of your fathers.
22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
Versículos relacionados com Genesis, 48:
Genesis 48 narrates the moment when Jacob blesses his grandchildren Efraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph. Jacob grants the blessing of the firstborn to Ephraim, the youngest, instead of Manasseh the oldest, which was unusual in the culture of the time. The following five verses were selected for their relevance with the topics addressed in this chapter.
1 Timothy 4:14: "The gift that is in you is not despised, which was given to prophecy, with the imposition of the hands of the elder." Jacob's blessing on Ephraim and Manasseh is an example of how a leader can identify and bless those who have special gifts and skills, even if they are not the elders or more obvious.
Romans 8:17: "And if we are children, we are soon heirs too, heirs of God, and co-heirs of Christ: if it is certain that we suffer with Him, that we may be glorified with Him." The blessing of the birthright granted to Ephraim and not Manasseh is an example of how God often chooses the least obvious or apparently less capable of receiving blessings and honors.
Proverbs 17:6: "Old crown are the children of their children; and the glory of their children are their parents." Jacob demonstrates love and care for their grandchildren, blessing them and recognizing the importance of the next generation for the continuity of family and legacy.
1 Peter 2:9: "But you are the elected generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the acquired people, that you may announce the virtues of him who called you from darkness to his wonderful light." The blessing granted to Ephraim and Manasseh is an example of how God can use the next generation to perform His purposes and transmit His values.
Hebrews 11:21: "By faith, Jacob, close to death, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and loved it, inclined over the end of his border." Jacob's blessing on his grandchildren is an example of how faith can inspire a father or grandfather to bless and transmit spiritual values to the next generation.
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