Genesis · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Genesis 48 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
1 And it came to pass after these things, that it was reported to Joseph, Behold, thy father is ill; and, having taken his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, he came to Jacob.
1 After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And it was reported to Jacob, saying, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh to thee; and Israel having strengthened himself, sat upon the bed.
2 Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.
3 And Jacob said to Joseph, My God appeared to me in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 and said to me, Behold, I will increase thee, and multiply thee, and will make of thee multitudes of nations; and I will give this land to thee, and to thy seed after thee, for an everlasting possession.
4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’
5 Now then thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of Egypt, before I came to thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, as Reuben and Simeon they shall be mine.
5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.
6 And the children which thou shalt beget hereafter, shall be in the name of their brethren; they shall be named after their inheritances.
6 Your offspring, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
7 And as for me, when I came out of Mesopotamia of Syria, Rachel, thy mother, died in the land of Canaan, as I drew nigh to the horse course of Chabratha of the land [of Canaan], so as to come to Ephrath; and I buried her in the road of the course; this is Bethlehem.
7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).”
8 And when Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he said, Who are these to thee?
8 Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9 And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God gave me here; and Jacob said, Bring me them, that I may bless them.
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim through age, and he could not see; and he brought them near to him, and he kissed them, and embraced them.
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see well. Joseph brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11 And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I have not been deprived of [seeing] thy face, and lo! God has showed me thy seed also.
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”
12 And Joseph brought them out from [between] his knees, and they did reverence to him, with their face to the ground.
12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13 And Joseph took his two sons, both Ephraim in his right hand, but on the left of Israel, and Manasseh on his left hand, but on the right of Israel, and brought them near to him.
13 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 to him.
14 But Israel having stretched out his right hand, laid it on the head of Ephraim, and he was the younger; and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, [guiding] his hands crosswise.
14 Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 And he blessed them and said, The God in whose sight my fathers were well pleasing, [even] Abraham and Isaac, the God who continues to feed me from my youth until this day;
15 He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 the angel who delivers me from all evils, bless these boys, and my name shall be called upon them, and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and let them be increased to a great multitude on the earth.
16 the angel who has 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. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
17 And Joseph having seen that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim—it seemed grievous to him; and Joseph took hold of the hand of his father, to remove it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh.
17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
18 And Joseph said to his father, Not so, father; for this is the firstborn; lay thy right hand upon his head.
18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19 And he would not, but said, I know it, son, I know it; he also shall be a people, and he shall be exalted, but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
19 His father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.”
20 And he blessed them in that day, saying, In you shall Israel be blessed, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh; and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
20 He blessed them that day, saying, “Israel will bless in your name, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die; and God shall be with you, and restore you to the land of your fathers.
21 Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
22 And I give to thee Shechem, a select portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow.
22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ephraim
Joseph's younger son, given the greater blessing by Jacob.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 41:52; 48
Jacob
He wrestled with God through the night and rose as Israel, father of twelve tribes.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25–35; 46–49
Joseph
Betrayed and enslaved, he rose to rule Egypt and saved his family from famine.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 37; 39–50
Manasseh
Joseph's elder son, whose descendants formed a tribe on both sides of the Jordan.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 41:51; 48
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Genesis 46:20; Genesis 41:50–52; Genesis 50:23; Psalm 128:6; John 11:3
- 2 1 Samuel 23:16; Deuteronomy 3:28; Ephesians 6:10; Proverbs 23:15; Psalm 41:3
- 3 Genesis 35:9–12; Genesis 17:1; Exodus 6:3; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 28:12–19
- 4 Genesis 17:8; Genesis 35:11; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 28:13–15; Amos 9:14–15
- 5 Genesis 41:50–52; Genesis 46:20; Joshua 14:4; 1 Chronicles 5:1–2; Joshua 13:7
- 6 Joshua 14:4
- 7 Matthew 2:18; Genesis 35:16–19; Genesis 35:9; Genesis 25:20; Ruth 1:2
- 9 Genesis 27:4; Genesis 33:5; Hebrews 11:21; 1 Samuel 1:27; Genesis 49:28
- 10 Genesis 27:1; Genesis 27:27; Isaiah 6:10; Isaiah 59:1; 1 Samuel 3:2
- 11 Ephesians 3:20; Genesis 45:26; Genesis 37:35; Genesis 42:36; Genesis 37:33
- 12 Genesis 42:6; Genesis 33:3; 1 Kings 2:19; Ephesians 6:1; Exodus 34:8
- 14 Genesis 41:51; Numbers 8:10; Deuteronomy 34:9; Acts 6:6; Genesis 48:18
- 15 Genesis 17:1; Genesis 48:16; Colossians 2:6; Matthew 6:25–34; Hebrews 11:21
- 16 Psalm 34:22; 2 Timothy 4:18; Genesis 28:13–15; Genesis 49:22; Genesis 48:5
- 17 Genesis 48:14; Romans 9:7–8; 1 Kings 16:25; 1 Chronicles 21:7; 1 Samuel 16:7
- 18 Genesis 49:3; Genesis 27:15; Acts 11:8; Matthew 25:9; Genesis 19:18
- 19 Numbers 1:33–35; Deuteronomy 33:17; Genesis 25:28; Genesis 48:14; Genesis 17:20–21
- 20 Ruth 4:11–12; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 24:60; Numbers 7:48; Numbers 2:18–21
- 21 Genesis 46:4; Genesis 50:24; Genesis 28:15; Genesis 26:3; Hebrews 7:23–25
- 22 John 4:5; Joshua 24:32; 1 Chronicles 5:2; Judges 11:23; Genesis 34:28
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… heart, in the persons of his own sons, threw light upon the races of the future people, presignified in them; and laid his hands, mystically crossed, upon his grandchildren by Joseph, not as their father, looking outwardly, corrected them, but as he himself distinguished them. This is the light, the only one, and all those who see and love it …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
He also shall become a people, and he also shall be exalted; but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." And these two promises show the same thing.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… Jacob even, the father of so many children, made his grandchildren, the sons of Joseph, his own children, in these words: "These too shall be mine, and they shall receive the land with their brethren, and those which thou begettest after them shall be thine." But it will be said, perhaps, that this word "adoption" is not found in the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)