¹³Then Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right, facing Israel’s left, and Manasseh on his left, facing Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. ¹⁴But Israel crossed his hands and reached out. He put his right hand on Ephraim’s head, although Ephraim was the younger son. He put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was older.

¹⁵Then Jacob blessed Joseph,

“May God, in whose presence my grandfather Abraham

and my father Isaac walked,

may God, who has been my shepherd all my life to this very day,

¹⁶may the Messenger, who has rescued me from all evil,

bless these boys.

May they be called by my name

and by the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac.

May they have many children on the earth.”

¹⁷When Joseph saw that his father had put his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he didn’t like it. So he took his father’s hand in order to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s. ¹⁸Then he said to his father, “That’s not right, Father! This is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

¹⁹His father refused and said, “I know, Son, I know! Manasseh, too, will become a nation, and he, too, will be important. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be more important than he, and his descendants will become many nations.”

²⁰That day he blessed them. He said,

“Because of you, Israel will speak this blessing,

‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’ ”

In this way Israel put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

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