Genesis 48:14–20

¹⁴But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn.^{* 15}He blessed Joseph and said,

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

the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,^*

¹⁶the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the boys,

and in them let my name be perpetuated and the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac,

and let them grow into a multitude on the earth.”^*

¹⁷When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, so he took his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.^{* 18}Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father! Since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on 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. Nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”^{* 20}So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will invoke blessings, saying,

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

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.