Study Desk

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.

Israel was old and his eyes were not good. So Joseph brought the boys close to his father. Israel kissed and hugged the boys.

Joseph put Ephraim on his right side and Manasseh on his left side. (So Ephraim was on Israel's left side, and Manasseh was on Israel's right side.)

So Israel blessed them that day. He said, "The Israelites will use your names whenever they bless someone. They will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" In this way Israel made Ephraim greater than Manasseh.

But your passion was like a flood you couldn't control. So you will not remain my most honored son. You climbed into your father's bed and slept with one of his wives. You brought shame to my bed, to the bed you lay on.

Their anger is so strong that it is a curse. They are too cruel when they are angry. They will not get their own land in the land of Jacob. They will be spread throughout Israel.

That cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought that field from Ephron so that he could have a burying place.

‘When my father was near death, I made a promise to him. I promised that I would bury him in a cave in the land of Canaan. This is the cave that he prepared for himself. So please let me go and bury my father. Then I will come back here to you.'"

So Joseph went to bury his father. All of Pharaoh's officials, personal advisors, and all the older leaders of Egypt went with Joseph.

So there was a large crowd of people with him. There was even a group of soldiers riding in chariots and some on horses.

When the people who lived in Canaan saw the funeral service at Goren Atad, they said, "This is a time of great sorrow for those Egyptians." So now that place across the Jordan River is named Abel Mizraim.

So Jacob's sons did what their father told them.

So the brothers sent this message to Joseph: "Before your father died, he told us to give you a message.

He said, ‘Tell Joseph that I beg him to please forgive his brothers for the bad things they did to him.' So now Joseph, we beg you, please forgive us for the bad things we did to you. We are the servants of God, the God of your father." That message made Joseph very sad, and he cried.

So don't be afraid. I will take care of you and your children." And so Joseph said kind things to his brothers, and this made them feel better.

Another son, Joseph, was already in Egypt. So Jacob's whole family was with him in Egypt—70 descendants in all.

The Egyptians decided to make life hard for the Israelites, so they put slave masters over the people. These masters forced the Israelites to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses for the king. The king used these cities to store grain and other things.

So the Egyptians made them work even harder.

But the nurses trusted God, so they did not obey the king's command. They let all the baby boys live.

The nurses trusted God, so he was good to them and allowed them to have their own families. The Hebrews continued to have more children, and they became very strong.