Genesis 48:3-20
Jacob said to Joseph,“ The sovereign God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.He said to me,‘ I am going to make you fruitful and will multiply you. I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants as an everlasting possession.’“ Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are.Any children that you father after them will be yours; they will be listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance.But as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died– to my sorrow– in the land of Canaan. It happened along the way, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there on the way to Ephrath”( that is, Bethlehem).When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he asked,“ Who are these?”Joseph said to his father,“ They are the sons God has given me in this place.” His father said,“ Bring them to me so I may bless them.”Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph brought his sons near to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.Israel said to Joseph,“ I never expected to see you again, but now God has allowed me to see your children too.”So Joseph moved them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground.Joseph positioned them; he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel’s right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father.Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, although he was the younger. Crossing his hands, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, for Manasseh was the firstborn.Then he blessed Joseph and said,“ May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked– the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,the Angel who has protected me from all harm– bless these boys. May my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him. So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.Joseph said to his father,“ Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”But his father refused and said,“ I know, my son, I know. He too will become a nation and he too will become great. In spite of this, his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”So he blessed them that day, saying,“ By you will Israel bless, saying,‘ May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
