1. Some time later Joseph was told that his father was ill. So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to see Jacob.
2. When Jacob was told that his son Joseph had come to see him, he gathered his strength and sat up in bed.
3. Jacob said to Joseph, “Almighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.
4. He said to me, ‘I will give you many children, so that your descendants will become many nations; I will give this land to your descendants as their possession for ever.’ ”
5. Jacob continued, “Joseph, your two sons, who were born to you in Egypt before I came here, belong to me; Ephraim and Manasseh are just as much my sons as Reuben and Simeon.
6. If you have any more sons, they will not be considered mine; the inheritance they get will come through Ephraim and Manasseh.
7. I am doing this because of your mother Rachel. To my great sorrow she died in the land of Canaan, not far from Ephrath, as I was returning from Mesopotamia. I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.” (Ephrath is now known as Bethlehem.)
8. When Jacob saw Joseph's sons, he asked, “Who are these boys?”
9. Joseph answered, “These are my sons, whom God has given me here in Egypt.”Jacob said, “Bring them to me so that I may bless them.”
10. Jacob's eyesight was failing because of his age, and he could not see very well. Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged them and kissed them.
11. Jacob said to Joseph, “I never expected to see you again, and now God has even let me see your children.”