(KJV) Genesis 48¹

⥃Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

[1] And it came to pass after these things, that [one] told Joseph, Behold, thy father² [is] sick: and he took with him his two sons³, Manasseh and Ephraim. [2] And [one] told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened⁴ himself, and sat upon the bed. [3] And Jacob said unto Joseph, God⁵ Almighty appeared⁶ unto me at Luz⁷ in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, [4] And said unto me, Behold, I⁸ will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give⁹ this land to thy seed after thee [for] an everlasting¹⁰ possession.

[5] [¶]And now thy two sons¹¹, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, [are] mine¹²; as Reuben¹³ and Simeon, they shall be mine. [6] And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, [and] shall be called¹⁴ after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. [7] And as for me, when I came from Padan¹⁵, Rachel¹⁶ died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet [there was] but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same [is] Beth–lehem. [8] And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who [are] these? [9] And Joseph said unto his father, They [are] my sons¹⁷, whom God hath given me in this [place]. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them¹⁸. [10] Now the eyes¹⁹ of Israel were dim²⁰ for age, [so that] he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed²¹ them, and embraced them. [11] And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not²² thought to see thy face: and, lo, God²³ hath shewed me also thy seed. [12] And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself²⁴ with his face to the earth. [13] And 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 unto him. [14] And Israel stretched out his right hand²⁵, and laid²⁶ [it] upon Ephraim’s head, who [was] the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding²⁷ his hands wittingly; for Manasseh [was] the firstborn²⁸.

[15] [¶]And he blessed²⁹ Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk³⁰, the God which fed me³¹ all my life long unto this day, [16] The Angel³² which redeemed³³ me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name³⁴ be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into³⁵ a multitude³⁶ in the midst of the earth. [17] And when Joseph saw that his father laid his³⁷ right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him³⁸: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. [18] And Joseph said unto his father, Not so³⁹, my father: for this⁴⁰ [is] the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. [19] And his father refused, and said, I know [it⁴¹], my son, I know [it]: he also shall become⁴² a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude⁴³ of nations. [20] And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless⁴⁴, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set⁴⁵ Ephraim before Manasseh. [21] And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold⁴⁶, I die: but God⁴⁷ shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land⁴⁸ of your fathers. [22] Moreover I have given⁴⁹ to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite⁵⁰ with my sword and with my bow.