Genesis 48:13-22
13And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 aAnd Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, bcrossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). 15And he blessed Joseph and said,“The God cbefore whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
16 dthe angel who has eredeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;
and in them let fmy name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
and let them ggrow into a multitude ▼
▼Or let them be like fish for multitude
in the midst of the earth.”17When Joseph saw that his father ilaid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” 19But his father refused and said, j“I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, khis younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude ▼
▼Hebrew fullness
of nations.” 20So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
m‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but nGod will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22Moreover, I have given to oyou rather than to your brothers one mountain slope ▼
▼Or one portion of the land; Hebrew shekem, which sounds like the town and district called Shechem
that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”
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