Genesis 48:14–20

¹⁴But Israel^r reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,^s though he was the younger,^t and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.^u

¹⁵Then he blessed^v Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,^w

the God who has been my shepherd^x

all my life to this day,

¹⁶the Angel^y who has delivered me from all harm^z

—may he bless^a these boys.^b

May they be called by my name

and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,^c

and may they increase greatly

on the earth.”^d

¹⁷When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand^e on Ephraim’s head^f he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”^g

¹⁹But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.^h Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,ⁱ and his descendants will become a group of nations.^j” ²⁰He blessed^k them that day^l and said,

“In your^c name will Israel^m pronounce this blessing:ⁿ

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

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.