1. Some time later Joseph learned that his father was very sick. So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to his father.
2. When Joseph arrived, someone told Israel, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” Israel was very weak, but he tried hard and sat up in his bed.
3. Then Israel said to Joseph, “God All-Powerful appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan. God blessed me there.
4. He said to me, ‘I will make you a great family. I will give you many children and you will be a great people. Your family will own this land forever.’
5. Now you have two sons. These two sons were born here in the country of Egypt before I came. Your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, will be like my own sons. They will be like Reuben and Simeon to me.
6. So these two boys will be my sons. They will share in everything I own. But if you have other sons, they will be your sons. But they will also be like sons to Ephraim and Manasseh—that is, in the future, they will share in everything that Ephraim and Manasseh own.
7. On the trip from Paddan Aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. This made me very sad. We were still traveling toward Ephrath. I buried her there on the road to Ephrath.” (Ephrath is Bethlehem.)
8. Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons. Israel said, “Who are these boys?”