Genesis 48:13–20

¹³And Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim at his right to the left of Israel, and Manasseh at his left to the right of Israel. And he brought them near to him. ¹⁴And Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim (now he was the younger), and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. ¹⁵And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, walked,

The God who shepherded me all my life^d unto this day,

¹⁶The angel who redeemed me from all evil,

may he bless the boys.

And through them let my name be perpetuated,^e

and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac.

And let them multiply into many in the midst of the earth.

¹⁷When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, he was displeased. And he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from the head of Ephraim over to the head of Manasseh. ¹⁸And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; because this one is the firstborn. Put your right hand upon his head.” ¹⁹But his father refused and said, “I know, my son; I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great, but his younger brother shall be greater than him, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” ²⁰So he blessed them that day, saying,

Through you Israel shall pronounce blessing, saying,

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

So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.