1 Some time later, when Joseph was told that his father was ill, he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 So they told Jacob that Joseph his son had come. Then Israel, mustering his strength, sat up in bed.
3 And he said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me
4 saying, 'I will make you fruitful and increase your number, and I will make of you a group of nations, and I will give this land to you and to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.'
5 From now on your two sons who were born in Egypt, before I came to you here, are mine! Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
6 Only the children born after them will be yours and the land they inherit shall be known by the names of Ephraim and Manasseh.
7 When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died on the journey at some distance from Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath, that is Bethlehem."
8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons he said, "Who are these?"
9 Joseph told his father, "They are the sons that God has given me here." Jacob said, "Bring them to me that I may bless them."
10 As Israel's eyes were dim with age, he could no longer see. When Jacob brought them near, he kissed and embraced them,
11 and said to Joseph, "I didn't expect to see you again and now God is letting me see your children as well!"
12 Joseph lifted them from Israel's knees and he himself bowed low, his face to the ground.
13 Joseph then took them both, Ephraim by his right hand to Israel's left, and Manasseh by his left hand to Israel's right.
14 Israel raised his right hand and placed it on Ephraim's head, although he was the younger, and placed his left hand on Manasseh's head even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God in whose presence my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd from my birth to this day,
16 the Angel who has saved me from every evil, bless these boys. And in them may my name live on and that of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. And may they increase greatly on the earth!"
17 Joseph was displeased when he saw his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head. So he took his father's hand from Ephraim's head to place it on Manasseh
18 and said, "Not like that father, for this one is the elder. Place your right hand on his head."
19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he too will be great and become a nation. Nevertheless his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations."
20 He blessed them that day in these words: "Through you Israel will bestow this blessing: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!" So he placed Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am going to die. God will be with you and he will bring you back to the land of your fathers.
22 And to you, over and above what goes to your brothers, I give a mountain slope that I took from the Amorites with my sword and 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.
Capítulos: