Genesis Chapter 48
Showing all 22 verses for Genesis Chapter 48.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"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. "
"Some time later, someone told Joseph, 'Your father is ill.' So Joseph took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to him."
Joseph hears his father is sick and brings his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to see him. Making time to visit someone you love while there's still time, and bringing the people they cherish most, is one of life's most meaningful acts of devotion.
"And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. "
"Jacob was told, 'Your son Joseph has come to see you.' So Israel gathered his strength and sat up on the bed."
Jacob gathers his strength and sits up on the bed to receive Joseph. Even in weakness and illness, summoning what strength remains to fully receive someone you love shows how deeply that relationship still matters.
"And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, "
"Jacob said to Joseph, 'God Almighty appeared to me at Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blessed me there.'"
Jacob recalls God appearing to him at Luz and blessing him there. Revisiting the moments when God has clearly met you in the past can steady your faith and give you words worth passing on to those who come after you.
"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. "
"'He said to me, "I will make you fruitful and increase your numbers; I will make of you a community of peoples, and I will give this land to your descendants after you as a lasting possession."'"
Jacob recounts God's promise of fruitfulness, multitude, and an everlasting possession of the land. A promise received decades earlier can still be alive and worth repeating to the next generation, carrying its full weight even after a long wait.
"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. "
"'Now, your two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I arrived — Ephraim and Manasseh — are mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.'"
Jacob formally adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons, equal to Reuben and Simeon. Real generosity can mean giving someone a full, equal place in your family and legacy, not merely a lesser or secondary standing.
"And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. "
"'Any children you have after them will be yours; they will be counted under the names of their brothers in what they inherit.'"
Jacob clarifies that any children Joseph has afterwards will be counted under Ephraim and Manasseh. Clear, thoughtful arrangements made in advance can prevent confusion and protect harmony for the generations that follow.
"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. "
"'As for me, when I was coming back from Padan, Rachel died on the way, in the land of Canaan, while we were still some distance from Ephrath. I buried her there, on the road to Ephrath — that is, Bethlehem.'"
Jacob recalls, with evident grief, burying Rachel on the way to Ephrath. Old grief can surface unexpectedly even in a moment of blessing; letting it be spoken aloud, rather than suppressed, honours both the memory and the person you're with.
"And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these? "
"When Israel noticed Joseph's sons, he asked, 'Who are these?'"
Jacob, his eyes dim, asks Joseph who the two boys are. It's alright to need help seeing clearly, literally or otherwise; asking for that help is not a weakness but simple honesty about your own limits.
"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. "
"Joseph told his father, 'They are my sons, whom God has given me here.' Jacob said, 'Please bring them to me, so I can bless them.'"
Joseph introduces his sons as those God gave him, and Jacob asks to bless them. Crediting God plainly for the good things in your life, even to someone who already loves you, is a quiet and consistent form of gratitude.
"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. "
"Now Israel's eyes had grown dim with age, so he could barely see. Joseph brought the boys close to him, and he kissed and embraced them."
Jacob, though his eyes are dim with age, kisses and embraces his grandsons. Physical warmth and affection remain powerful even when other faculties are fading; love finds a way to express itself regardless of the body's limits.
"And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. "
"Israel said to Joseph, 'I never expected to see your face again — and now God has even let me see your children too.'"
Jacob marvels that God has let him see not only Joseph's face again but his children too. Let yourself be fully amazed by an unexpected blessing rather than taking it in stride; gratitude grows when wonder is given room to breathe.
"And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. "
"Joseph moved his sons back from between his father's knees, and then bowed down with his face to the ground."
Joseph bows with his face to the ground before his father. Humility before someone who has loved and guided you, even once you've grown into great responsibility yourself, remains a fitting and healthy posture.
"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. "
"Joseph took both boys — Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israel's right — and brought them close to him."
Joseph positions Manasseh, the elder, towards Jacob's right hand, and Ephraim towards his left. Careful, respectful planning according to custom and expectation is a reasonable starting point, even when the outcome ends up surprising everyone involved.
"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. "
"But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn — crossing his hands on purpose."
Jacob deliberately crosses his hands, placing his right hand on Ephraim, the younger. God's choices don't always follow human convention or expectation; be open to a blessing that unfolds differently than tradition would predict.
"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, "
"Then he blessed Joseph, saying, 'The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this very day,'"
Jacob blesses Joseph, naming the God who has shepherded him his whole life long. A lifetime of being cared for by God is worth naming explicitly and passing on as testimony to those who will carry your legacy forward.
"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. "
"'the Angel who rescued me from all harm — bless these boys. Let my name be carried on through them, along with the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them multiply greatly throughout the earth.'"
Jacob asks the Angel who redeemed him from all evil to bless the boys, and to let his name and his fathers' names live on in them. Passing your faith and your family's story forward, in your own words, is one of the most enduring gifts you can leave behind.
"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. "
"When Joseph saw his father putting his right hand on Ephraim's head, it upset him, so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head onto Manasseh's."
Joseph, seeing his father's right hand on Ephraim, tries to move it to Manasseh's head. A well-intentioned instinct to correct what looks like a mistake is understandable; still, be willing to pause and listen before assuming you know better.
"And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. "
"Joseph said to his father, 'No, not like that, father — this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.'"
Joseph explains to his father that Manasseh, the firstborn, should receive the right hand. Speaking up honestly about what you believe is right, even to someone you deeply respect, is a reasonable and often necessary act of care.
"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. "
"But his father refused, saying, 'I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will be great. But his younger brother will be greater than he is, and his descendants will become a great many nations.'"
Jacob refuses to change his hands, saying Ephraim's descendants will become greater than his older brother's. Trust that God can see further than convention or birth order alone; His plans sometimes favour the very one we'd have overlooked.
"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. "
"So he blessed them that day, saying, 'Israel will use your names as a blessing, saying, "May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh."' And he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh."
Jacob blesses them both, setting Ephraim before Manasseh and saying Israel will bless others by their names. Being a source of blessing to others, so much so that people invoke your name in their own hopes for good, is a legacy worth aspiring to.
"And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. "
"Then Israel said to Joseph, 'Look, I am dying — but God will be with you, and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.'"
Jacob tells Joseph that though he is dying, God will be with him and bring his family back to Canaan. Facing your own death with confidence that God's promises will continue on for those you love is a profound and steadying kind of peace.
"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. "
"'What's more, I am giving you one portion of land more than your brothers — the piece I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.'"
Jacob gives Joseph an extra portion of land, won by his own sword and bow. A hard-won gift, earned through real struggle, carries a weight and meaning that makes it worth passing on to someone you especially want to honour.