Genesis 48:9-20

New American Standard Bible 1995

⁹ Joseph said to his father, “^(A)They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that ^(B)I may bless them.” ¹⁰ Now ^(C)the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then ^[a]Joseph brought them close to him, and he ^(D)kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ Israel said to Joseph, “I never ^[b]expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your ^[c]children as well.” ¹² Then Joseph ^[d]took them from his knees, and ^(E)bowed with his face to the ground. ¹³ 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, ^[e]crossing his hands, ^[f]although ^(F)Manasseh was the firstborn. ¹⁵ He blessed Joseph, and said,

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father ^(L)laid 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. ¹⁸ 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 ^(M)his ^[j]descendants shall become a ^[k]multitude of nations.” ^20 (N)He blessed them that day, saying,

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.