8 Then Israel asaw Joseph’s sons and said, “Who are these?” 9 And Joseph said to his father, “aThey are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that bI may bless them.” 10 Now athe eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he bkissed them and embraced them. 11 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed as well.” 12 Then Joseph took them from his knees and abowed with his face to the ground. 13 And 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. 14 But 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, crossing his hands, although aManasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph and said,
“aMay the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
bThe God who has been my shepherd throughout my life to this day,
16 aThe angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
bBless these boys;
And may my name live on in them,
And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And cmay they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 But Joseph saw that his father aset his right hand on Ephraim’s head, and it was displeasing in his sight; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But 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 ahis seed shall become the fullness of nations.” 20 aAnd he 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.