Study Desk

But Israel put out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, the younger son. And he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands. But Manasseh was the first-born.

When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, he was not pleased. He took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

Joseph said to his father, "Not this way, my father, for this one is the first-born. Place your right hand on his head."

But his father would not, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He will become a nation also, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be greater than he. His children and their children's children will become many nations."

Then Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together so that I may tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.

The right of a ruler will not leave Judah. The ruler's special stick will not go from between his feet, until Shiloh comes. Then the people will obey Him.

He ties his young donkey to the vine, his donkey's young one to the best vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his coats in the blood of grapes.

His eyes are darker than wine. And his teeth are whiter than milk.

"Zebulun will live beside the sea and be a safe place for ships. His land will lie beside Sidon.

He saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasing. So he made his shoulder ready to carry loads. He let himself be a servant.

"Dan will judge his people, as one of the families of Israel.

But his bow did not shake. His arms were made strong by the hands of the Powerful One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

More good has come to your father than to my fathers before me, as lasting as the hills that last forever. May this good be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of him who was divided from his brothers.

There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah. There they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah. And there I buried Leah.

When Jacob finished telling his sons what to do, he lay back down on his bed and died.

Then Joseph threw himself upon his father, and cried over him and kissed him.

Joseph told his servants the doctors to make his father ready to be buried. So the doctors made Israel ready.

So Joseph went to bury his father. With him went all the servants of Pharaoh, the leaders of his house and all the important men of the land of Egypt,

and all those of the house of Joseph, and his brothers, and those of his father's house. They left only their little ones and their flocks and cattle in the land of Goshen.

They came to the grain-floor of Atad on the other side of the Jordan. There they cried with much sorrow. Joseph cried in sorrow for his father for seven days.