⁵Your two sons, who were born here in Egypt before I came, will be counted as my own sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will be my sons just as Reuben and Simeon are my sons. ⁶But if you have other children, they will be your own, and their land will be part of the land given to Ephraim and Manasseh. ⁷When I came from Northwest Mesopotamia, Rachel died in the land of Canaan, as we were traveling toward Ephrath. This made me very sad, and I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.” (Today Ephrath is Bethlehem.)

⁸Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons and said, “Who are these boys?”

⁹Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons that God has given me here in Egypt.”

Israel said, “Bring your sons to me so I may bless them.”

¹⁰At this time Israel’s eyesight was bad because he was old. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Israel kissed the boys and put his arms around them. ¹¹He said to Joseph, “I thought I would never see you alive again, and now God has let me see you and also your children.” ¹²Then Joseph moved his sons off Israel’s lap and bowed facedown to the ground. ¹³He put Ephraim on his right side and Manasseh on his left. (So Ephraim was near Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh was near Israel’s right hand.) Joseph brought the boys close to Israel. ¹⁴But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, who was younger. He put his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn son. ¹⁵And Israel blessed Joseph and said,

“My ancestors Abraham and Isaac served our God,

and like a shepherd God has led me all my life.

¹⁶He was the Angel who saved me from all my troubles.

Now I pray that he will bless these boys.

May my name be known through these boys,

and may the names of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac be known through them.

May they have many descendants

on the earth.”

¹⁷When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he didn’t like it. So he took hold of his father’s hand, wanting to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸Joseph said to his father, “You are doing it wrong, Father. Manasseh is the firstborn son. Put your right hand on his head.”

¹⁹But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. Manasseh will be great and have many descendants. But his younger brother will be greater, and his descendants will be enough to make a nation.”

²⁰So Israel blessed them that day and said,

“When a blessing is given in Israel, they will say:

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

In this way he made Ephraim greater than Manasseh.

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