Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

And Joseph seeing that his father had put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, was much displeased: and taking his father's hand, he tried to lift it from Ephraim's head, and to remove it to the head of Manasses.

And he said to his father: It should not be so, my father; for this is the firstborn, put thy right hand upon his head.

But he refusing, said: I know, my son, I know: and this also shall become a people, and shall be multiplied; but his younger brother shall be greater than he; and his seed shall grow into nations.

And he blessed them at that time, saying: In thee shall Israel be blessed, and it shall be said: God do to thee as to Ephraim, and as to Manasses. And he set Ephraim before Manasses.

And he said to Joseph, his son: Behold I die, and God will be with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers.

I give thee a portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorrhite with my sword and bow.

And Jacob called his sons, and said to them: Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days.

Gather yourselves together, and hear, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken to Israel, your father:

Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my sorrow; excelling in gifts, greater in command.

Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, and didst defile his couch.

Simeon and Levi brethren: vessels of iniquity waging war.

Let not my soul go into their counsel, nor my glory be in their assembly: because in their fury they slew a man, and in their self-will they undermined a wall.

Cursed be their fury, because it was stubborn: and their wrath, because it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel.

Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hand shall be on the necks of thy enemies; the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee.

Juda is a lion's whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him?

The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.

Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, O my son, to the vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.

His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

Zabulon shall dwell on the seashore, and in the road of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.

Issachar shall be a strong ass, lying down between the borders.

He saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute.

Dan shall judge his people like another tribe in Israel.

Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, that his rider may fall backward.

I will look for thy salvation, O Lord.

Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward.