14 But Israel, crossing his hands, put out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, although he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, although he was the firstborn.
15 Then he blessed them with these words:“May the God in whose presencemy fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,The God who has been my shepherdfrom my birth to this day,
16 The angel who has delivered me from all harm,bless these boysThat in them my name be recalled,and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac,And they may become teeming multitudesupon the earth!”
17 When Joseph saw that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, this seemed wrong to him; so he took hold of his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s,
18 saying, “That is not right, father; the other one is the firstborn; lay your right hand on his head!”
19 But his father refused. “I know it, son,” he said, “I know. That one too shall become a people, and he too shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall surpass him, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”
20 So he blessed them that day and said, “By you shall the people of Israel pronounce blessings, saying, ‘God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” Thus he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.