Genesis 48:15–22

¹⁵He 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. ²¹Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your ancestors.^{* 22}I now give to you one portion^t more than to your brothers, the portion^u that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”^*