Genesis 48:5-20

5Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; 1Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as 2Reuben and Simeon are. 6But your offspring that 3have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the 4names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7Now as for me, when I came from 5Paddan, 6Rachel died, 7to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8When Israel 8saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9Joseph said to his father, “9They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that 10I may bless them.” 10Now 11the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then 12Joseph brought them close to him, and he 13kissed them and embraced them. 11Israel said to Joseph, “I never 14expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your 15children as well.” 12Then Joseph 16took them from his knees, and 17bowed with his face to the ground. 13Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, 18crossing his hands, 19although 20Manasseh was the firstborn. 15He blessed Joseph, and said, “21The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, 22The God who has been my shepherd 23all my life to this day,1624The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, 25Bless the lads; And may my name 26live on in them, And the 27names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And 28may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17When Joseph saw that his father 29laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and 30his 31descendants shall become a 32multitude of nations.” 2033He blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.