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Isra'el lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. They acquired possessions in it and were productive, and their numbers multiplied greatly. Haftarah Vayigash: Yechezk'el (Ezekiel) 37:15–28 B'rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Vayigash: Acts 7:9–16 (specifically vv. 13–15) Ya‘akov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; thus Ya‘akov lived to be 147 years old. The time came when Isra'el was approaching death; so he called for his son Yosef and said to him, "If you truly love me, please put your hand under my thigh and pledge that, out of consideration for me, you will not bury me in Egypt. Rather, when I sleep with my fathers, you are to carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried." He replied, "I will do as you have said." He said, "Swear it to me," and he swore to him. Then Isra'el bowed down at the head of his bed.

The time came when Isra'el was approaching death; so he called for his son Yosef and said to him, "If you truly love me, please put your hand under my thigh and pledge that, out of consideration for me, you will not bury me in Egypt.

He said, "Swear it to me," and he swore to him. Then Isra'el bowed down at the head of his bed.

Awhile later someone told Yosef that his father was ill. He took with him his two sons, M'nasheh and Efrayim.

Ya‘akov was told, "Here comes your son Yosef." Isra'el gathered his strength and sat up in bed.

Yosef answered his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." Ya‘akov replied, "I want you to bring them here to me, so that I can bless them."

(ii) Now Isra'el's eyes were dim with age, so that he could not see. Yosef brought his sons near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

Yosef brought them out from between his legs and prostrated himself on the ground.

Then Yosef took them both, Efrayim in his right hand toward Isra'el's left hand and M'nasheh in his left hand toward Isra'el's right hand, and brought them near to him.

But Isra'el put out his right hand and laid it on the head of the younger one, Efrayim, and put his left hand on the head of M'nasheh — he intentionally crossed his hands, even though M'nasheh was the firstborn.

(iii) When Yosef saw that his father was laying his right hand on Efrayim's head, it displeased him, and he lifted up his father's hand to remove it from Efrayim's head and place it instead on M'nasheh's head.

Yosef said to his father, "Don't do it that way, my father; for this one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head."

But his father refused and said, "I know that, my son, I know it. He too will become a people, and he too will be great; nevertheless his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will grow into many nations."

(iv) Then Ya‘akov called for his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the acharit-hayamim.

The scepter will not pass from Y'hudah, nor the ruler's staff from between his legs, until he comes to whom [obedience] belongs; and it is he whom the peoples will obey.

Tying his donkey to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice grapevine, he washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.

"Z'vulun will live at the seashore, with ships anchoring along his coast and his border at Tzidon.

On seeing how good is settled life and how pleasant the country, he will bend his back to the burden, and submit to forced labor.

"Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Isra'el.