Genesis · Chapter 48

[ edit] And ſo þes þingis paſſid ouer, it was toold to Joſeph, þat þe fader of hym wex ſik. Þe which wiþ hym takun two ſones, Manaſſes and Effraym, forþ ȝeden to go. And it was ſeide to þe olde man, Loo! þi ſone Joſeph is comen to þee; þe which coumfortid ſat in þe bedde. And to Joſeph comun in to him, ſeiþ, God Almyȝti aperyde to me in Luza, þat is in þe loond of Chanaan, and he bliſſide to me, and ſeiþ, Y þee ſhal encreeſe and multiplie, and make into cumpanyes of peples, and Y ſhal ȝyue to þee þis loond, and to þi ſeed after þee, into euerlaſtynge poſſeſſioun.

Þanne þi two ſones, þat ben born to þee in þe loond of Egipte bifore Y com hider to þee, ſhulen ben myne, Effraym and Manaſſes as Ruben and Symeon ſhulen ben acountid to me; þe toþer forſoþe whom þow ſhalt gete after hem ſhulen be þine, and bi name of her breþeren ſhulen be clepid in her poſſeſſiouns. To me forſoþe whanne Y cam fro Meſopotanye, Rachel was deed in þe loond of Chanaan, in þat weie, and it was veer tyme; and Y cam into Effratam, and Y biryede hir biſide þe weie of Effraþe, þe which in anoþer name is clepid Beþleem. And Jacob, ſeynge þe ſones of hym, ſeide to hym, Who ben þes? He anſwerde, My ſones þei ben, whom God haþ ȝouun to me in þis place.

Bryng hem, he ſeiþ, to me, þat I bliſſe to hem. Þe eyen forſoþe of Yrael weren derke for greet eelde, and cleerli he myȝte not ſe; and hem put to hym, kiſſynge and cleppynge hem, ſeide to his ſone, Y am not bigilid of þi ſiȝt; forþermore God haþ ſhewid to me þi ſeed. And whanne Joſeph hadde takun hem fro þe boſum of þe fader, he anowride, bowid into þe erþe. And he putte Effraym at his riȝt hoond, þat is, at þe left ſyde of Iſrael; Manaſſes forſoþe in his lift ſide, at þe riȝt ſide of þe fader, and he putte boþe to hym. Þe which ſtrecchynge out þe riȝt hoond, putte vpon þe heed of Effraym, þe laſſe broþer; þe left forſoþe vpon þe heed of Manaſſe, þe which was more þurȝ birþe.

Jacob togidere chaungynge þe hondes bliſſide þe ſones of Joſeph, and ſeiþ, God, in whos ſiȝt ȝeden my fadres Abraham and Yſaac; God, þat fedde me fro my ȝongþe into þe day þat is now; þat aungel þat delyueride me fro alle yuels, bleſſe to þes children, and my name be inwardly clepid vpon hem, and þe names of my fadris Abraham and Yſaac; in multitude vpon erþe growe þei. Joſeph forſoþe ſeynge þat his fader hadde putte þe riȝt hoond vpon þe heed of Effraym, greuowſly tok, and þe hoond of þe fader takun, enforſide to heue fro þe heed of Effraym, and to ber ouer vpon þe heed of Manaſſe.

And he ſeide to þe fader, Not ſo, fader, it falliþ to be, for þis is þe firſt getun; put þi riȝt hoond vpon þe heed of hym. Þe which forſakynge ſeiþ, I knowe, ſone myne, Y knowe; and þis forſoþe ſhal be into puples, and ſhal be multiplied; but þe broþer of hym laſſe more þan he ſhal be, and þe ſeed of hym ſhal growe into folk of kynde. And he bliſſide hem in þat tyme, ſeiynge, In þee Yrael ſhal be bliſſid, and ſhal be ſeide, God do to þee as to Effraym and Manaſſe; and he ſette Effraym bifore Manaſſe. And he ſeiþ to Joſeph, his ſone, Loo!

Y dye, and God ſhal be wiþ ȝow, and he ſhal brynge ȝow aȝen to þe loond of ȝoure fadris; Y ȝyue to þee o parti oute of þi breþeren, þat Y tok of þe hoond of Amorrey, in ſwerde and in my bowe.