"God came to me a long time ago at Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blessed me; and God said to me: 'Behold you shall have many children; your descendants shall become a great multitude, and I will give all this land to them, for an everlasting possession!' Now, thy sons shall be as my own sons; they shall have a part of this promised land, the same as your brothers Reuben and Simeon; bring them near to me that I may bless them." So Joseph took Ephraim in his right hand, and Manasseh in his left hand, and led them to Jacob. Now Jacob's eyes were very dim: he kissed the lads, and said to Joseph: "I never thought to see thy face, and lo, God hath showed me also thy seed!"

And Jacob put out his hands, as was the custom in that country in those days, to lay them upon the children's heads while he blessed them. And he crossed his hands, and put his right hand upon Ephraim's head, and his left hand upon Manasseh.

He then blessed them, and said, "The God before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, did walk; the God which fed me all my life long, unto this day; the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named upon them, and the

name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth!"

When Joseph saw that his father had laid his right hand upon Ephraim, the youngest son, he was displeased; for in those times it was thought the laying on of the right hand gave the greatest honour and blessing, and they were always anxious to give this great honour and blessing to the eldest son. And he said to his father, "Not so, my father; this one, Manasseh, is the first-born: put thy right hand upon his head." But Jacob refused; he knew what was God's will, and said, "I know it, my son, but it may not be so. Manasseh shall indeed become great, and be a mighty people; but truly his younger brother shall become greater, and be more blessed than he." Then he added, "Behold, I die. God will be with you, and one day bring you again into the land of your fathers, and I give unto thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took from the Amorite with my sword and with my bow!"

Then Jacob called all his sons to him, and blessed them. And God gave him power and knowledge to tell them each what should be their future lot and that of their descendants. And when he had told them all

this he charged them to carry back his body into the land of Canaan, and to bury it with his fathers, in the cave which Abraham had bought, long before, of the people of the country.

So Jacob died, and Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. And all the people made great lamentation.