14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and mlaid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, nguiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the ofirstborn. 15 And phe blessed Joseph, and said:

“God, qbefore whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,

16 The Angel rwho has redeemed me from all evil,

Bless the lads;

Let smy name be named upon them,

And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

And let them tgrow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 Now when Joseph saw that his father ulaid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

19 But his father refused and said, v“I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly whis younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

20 So he blessed them that day, saying, x“By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but yGod will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover zI have given to you one 4portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand aof the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”