Genesis 48:8–22

⁸When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” ⁹Joseph said to his father, ^f“They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that ^gI may bless them.” ¹⁰Now ^hthe eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, ⁱand he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹And Israel said to Joseph, ^j“I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” ¹²Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. ¹³And 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 him. ^14kAnd Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, ^lcrossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). ¹⁵And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God ^mbefore whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,

¹⁶ⁿthe angel who has ^oredeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;

and in them let ^pmy name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

and let them ^qgrow into a multitude³ in the midst of the earth.”

¹⁷When Joseph saw that his father ^rlaid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” ¹⁹But his father refused and said, ^r“I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, ^shis younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude⁴ of nations.” ²⁰So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,

^t‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’ ”

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. ²¹Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but ^uGod will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. ²²Moreover, I have given to ^vyou rather than to your brothers one mountain slope⁵ that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”