4
and He said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will givethisland to your descendantsafter you for an everlastingpossession.'
5
"Now your twosons, who were born to you in the land of Egyptbefore I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.
7
"Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Racheldied, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was stillsomedistance* to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem )."
13
Josephtook them both, Ephraim with his righthandtowardIsrael'sleft, and Manasseh with his lefthandtowardIsrael'sright, and brought them close to him.
14
But Israelstretched out his righthand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his lefthand on Manasseh'shead, crossing his hands, althoughManasseh was the firstborn.
16
The angel who has redeemed me from allevil, Bless the lads; And may my namelive on in them, And the names of my fathersAbraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
17
When Josephsaw that his fatherlaid his righthand on Ephraim'shead, it displeased him; and he grasped his father'shand to remove it from Ephraim'shead to Manasseh'shead.
19
But his fatherrefused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his youngerbrother shall be greaterthan he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
20
He blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounceblessing, saying, 'May Godmake you like Ephraim and Manasseh!' " Thus he putEphraimbeforeManasseh.