¹ Und er rief mit lauter Stimme vor meinen Ohren und sprach: Laßt herzukommen die Heimsuchung der Stadt, und ein jeglicher habe eine Mordwaffe in seiner Hand.

² Und siehe, es kamen sechs Männer auf dem Wege vom Obertor her, das gegen Mitternacht steht; und ein jeglicher hatte eine schädliche Waffe in seiner Hand. Aber es war einer unter ihnen der hatte Leinwand an und ein Schreibzeug an seiner Seite. Und sie gingen hinein und traten neben den ehernen Altar.

³ Und die Herrlichkeit des Gottes Israels erhob sich von dem Cherub, über dem sie war, zu der Schwelle am Hause und rief dem, der die Leinwand anhatte und das Schreibzeug an seiner Seite.

⁴ Und der HERR sprach zu ihm: Gehe durch die Stadt Jerusalem und zeichne mit einem Zeichen an die Stirn die Leute, so da seufzen und jammern über die Greuel, so darin geschehen.

⁵ Zu jenen aber sprach er, daß ich's hörte: Gehet diesem nach durch die Stadt und schlaget drein; eure Augen sollen nicht schonen noch übersehen.

⁶ Erwürget Alte, Jünglinge, Jungfrauen, Kinder und Weiber, alles tot; aber die das Zeichen an sich haben, derer sollt ihr keinen anrühren. Fanget aber an an meinem Heiligtum! Und sie fingen an an den alten Leuten, so vor dem Hause waren.

⁷ Und er sprach zu ihnen: Verunreinigt das Haus und macht die Vorhöfe voll Erschlagener; gehet heraus! Und sie gingen heraus und schlugen in der Stadt.

⁸ Und da sie ausgeschlagen hatten, war ich noch übrig. Und ich fiel auf mein Angesicht, schrie und sprach: Ach HERR HERR, willst du denn alle übrigen in Israel verderben, daß du deinen Zorn so ausschüttest über Jerusalem?

⁹ Und er sprach zu mir: Es ist die Missetat des Hauses Israel und Juda allzusehr groß; es ist eitel Blutschuld im Lande und Unrecht in der Stadt. Denn sie sprechen: Der HERR hat das Land verlassen, und der HERR sieht uns nicht.

¹⁰ Darum soll mein Auge auch nicht schonen, ich will auch nicht gnädig sein, sondern ihr Tun auf ihren Kopf werfen.

¹¹ Und siehe, der Mann, der die Leinwand anhatte und das Schreibzeug an seiner Seite, antwortete und sprach: Ich habe getan, wie du mir geboten hast.

⁴³ Darum daß du nicht gedacht hast an die Zeit deiner Jugend, sondern mich mit diesem allem gereizt, darum will ich auch dir all dein Tun auf den Kopf legen, spricht der HERR HERR, wiewohl ich damit nicht getan habe nach dem Laster in deinen Greueln.

¹ It happened after these things, that someone said to Joseph, "Behold, your father is sick." He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

² Someone told Jacob, and said, "Behold, your son Joseph comes to you," and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.

³ Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

⁴ and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.'

⁵ Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.

⁶ Your issue, who you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

⁷ As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem)."

⁸ Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?"

⁹ Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." He said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them."

¹⁰ Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn't see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

¹¹ Israel said to Joseph, "I didn't think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also."

¹² Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

¹³ Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near to him.

¹⁴ Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

¹⁵ He blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,

¹⁶ the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

¹⁸ Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

¹⁹ His father refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations."

²⁰ He blessed them that day, saying, "In you will Israel bless, saying, 'God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh'" He set Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹ Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.

²² Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."