And after these things, tidings were brought unto Joseph, saying: 'Behold, thy father is sick.' And he took his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and came unto Israel his father; and when Israel saw them, he said unto Joseph: 'Whose are these unto thee, O my son?'
2Joseph said unto Jacob Israel his father: 'They are my sons, whom God hath given me in the land of my humiliation.' Israel said: 'Bring them near unto me.' But the eyes of Israel were dim through the greatness of old age, so that he could not see; and he brought them near unto him, and he kissed them.
3And when Israel had embraced them, he said: 'May God establish salvation upon thy seed.' And Joseph caused them to bow down before him to the earth, even his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh.
4And Joseph placed Manasseh toward his right hand, and Ephraim toward his left hand; but Israel crossed his hands, and laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh; and he blessed them, and divided an inheritance unto them with blessings.
5And he said: 'The God before whose face my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk pleasingly, the God who hath nourished me from my youth unto this very day, the Angel who delivered me from all my afflictions, bless these youths, who are my children; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my holy fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow and increase, and become a great multitude upon the earth.'
6After this Israel said unto Joseph: 'Behold, I die; and ye shall return unto the land of your fathers, and God shall be with you; behold, thou hast received a portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.'
7And Jacob called all his sons and said unto them: 'Gather yourselves together unto me, all of you, that I may tell you what shall befall you, and what shall happen unto each one of you in the last days.'
8And all the sons of Israel gathered unto him, from their least unto their greatest; Jacob Israel answered and said unto his sons: 'Hearken, O sons of Jacob; hearken unto Israel your father, from Reuben my firstborn unto Benjamin.' And he declared unto the twelve sons that which should befall each according to his name and according to his tribe, with the blessing of heaven.