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Genesis 48

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ Now Israel's eyes were so dim from age that he could not see [clearly]. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed and embraced them.

² Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, but see, God has shown me your children as well."

³ Then Joseph took the boys [from his father's embrace], and he bowed [before him] with his face to the ground.

⁴ Then Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them close to him.

⁵ But Israel reached out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head,[3] crossing his hands [intentionally], even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

⁶ Then Jacob (Israel) blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked [in faithful obedience], The God who has been my Shepherd [leading and caring for me] all my life to this day,

⁷ The[4] Angel [that is, the LORD Himself] who has redeemed me [continually] from all evil, Bless the boys; And may my name live on in them [may they be worthy of having their names linked with mine], And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a [great] multitude in the midst of the earth."

⁸ When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him [because he was not the firstborn]; and he grasped his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

⁹ Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; place your right hand on Manasseh's head."

¹⁰ But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; Manasseh also will become a people and he will be great; but his younger brother shall be[5] greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

¹¹ Then Jacob blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce a blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" And he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

¹² Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to [Canaan] the land of your fathers.

¹³ Moreover, I have given you [the[6] birthright,] one portion [Shechem, one mountain ridge] more than any of your brothers, which I took [reclaiming it] from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow."

¹⁴ Then Jacob called for his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves [around me] that I may tell you what will happen to you and your descendants[1] in the days to come.

¹⁵ "Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to Israel (Jacob) your father.

¹⁶ "Reuben, you are my[2] firstborn; My might, the beginning of my strength and vigor, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power [that should have been your birthright].

¹⁷ "But unstable and reckless and boiling over like water [in sinful lust], you shall[3] not excel or have the preeminence [of the firstborn], Because you went up to your father's bed [with Bilhah]; You defiled it—he went up to my couch.

¹⁸ "Simeon and Levi are brothers [equally headstrong, deceitful, vindictive, and cruel]; Their swords are weapons of violence and revenge.

¹⁹ "O my soul, do not come into their secret council; Let not my glory (honor) be united with their assembly [for I knew nothing of their plot]; Because in their anger they killed men [an honored man, Shechem, and the Shechemites], And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

²⁰ "Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide and disperse them in Jacob, And[4] scatter them in [the midst of the land of] Israel.

²¹ "Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's sons shall bow down to you.

²² "Judah, a lion's cub; With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain]. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, And like a lion—who dares rouse him?

#	AMP
1	Now Israel's eyes were so dim from age that he could not see [clearly]. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed and embraced them.
2	Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, but see, God has shown me your children as well."
3	Then Joseph took the boys [from his father's embrace], and he bowed [before him] with his face to the ground.
4	Then Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them close to him.
5	But Israel reached out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head,[3] crossing his hands [intentionally], even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
6	Then Jacob (Israel) blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked [in faithful obedience], The God who has been my Shepherd [leading and caring for me] all my life to this day,
7	The[4] Angel [that is, the LORD Himself] who has redeemed me [continually] from all evil, Bless the boys; And may my name live on in them [may they be worthy of having their names linked with mine], And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a [great] multitude in the midst of the earth."
8	When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him [because he was not the firstborn]; and he grasped his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
9	Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; place your right hand on Manasseh's head."
10	But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; Manasseh also will become a people and he will be great; but his younger brother shall be[5] greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
11	Then Jacob blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce a blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" And he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
12	Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to [Canaan] the land of your fathers.
13	Moreover, I have given you [the[6] birthright,] one portion [Shechem, one mountain ridge] more than any of your brothers, which I took [reclaiming it] from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow."
14	Then Jacob called for his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves [around me] that I may tell you what will happen to you and your descendants[1] in the days to come.
15	"Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to Israel (Jacob) your father.
16	"Reuben, you are my[2] firstborn; My might, the beginning of my strength and vigor, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power [that should have been your birthright].
17	"But unstable and reckless and boiling over like water [in sinful lust], you shall[3] not excel or have the preeminence [of the firstborn], Because you went up to your father's bed [with Bilhah]; You defiled it—he went up to my couch.
18	"Simeon and Levi are brothers [equally headstrong, deceitful, vindictive, and cruel]; Their swords are weapons of violence and revenge.
19	"O my soul, do not come into their secret council; Let not my glory (honor) be united with their assembly [for I knew nothing of their plot]; Because in their anger they killed men [an honored man, Shechem, and the Shechemites], And in their self-will they lamed oxen.
20	"Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide and disperse them in Jacob, And[4] scatter them in [the midst of the land of] Israel.
21	"Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's sons shall bow down to you.
22	"Judah, a lion's cub; With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain]. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, And like a lion—who dares rouse him?

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