Genesis 48:8-22

8When Israel 1saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9And Joseph said to his father, “2They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, so that 3I may bless them.” 10Now 4the eyes of Israel were so 5dim from age that he could not see. And 6Joseph brought them close to him, and he 7kissed them and embraced them. 11And Israel said to Joseph, “I never 8expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your 9children as well!” 12Then Joseph 10took them from his knees, and 11bowed with his face to the ground. 13And Joseph 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 reached out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although 12Manasseh was the firstborn. 15And he blessed Joseph, and said, “13The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, 14The God who has been my shepherd 15all my life to this day,1616The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, 17Bless the boys; And may my name 18live on in them, And the 19names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And 20may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17When Joseph saw that his father 21placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18And Joseph 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 22his 23descendants shall become 24a multitude of nations.” 20So 25he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’” And so he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but 26God will be with you, and 27bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22And I give you one 28portion more than your brothers, 29which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”