Study Desk

And Joseph said to his father, "^(C1)They are my sons, whom God has given me here." So he said, "Bring them to me, please, so that ^(C2)I may bless them."

Now ^(C1)the eyes of Israel were so ^(F1)dim from age that he could not see. And ^(F2)Joseph brought them close to him, and he ^(C2)kissed them and embraced them.

And Israel said to Joseph, "I never ^(F1)expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your ^(F2)children as well!"

Then Joseph ^(F1)took them from his knees, and ^(C1)bowed with his face to the ground.

And 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.

But Israel reached out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although ^(C1)Manasseh was the firstborn.

And he blessed Joseph, and said, "^(C1)The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, ^(C2)The God who has been my shepherd ^(F1)all my life to this day,

^(C1)The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, ^(C2)Bless the boys; And may my name ^(F1)live on in them, And the ^(F2)names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And ^(C3)may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

When Joseph saw that his father ^(C1)placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head."

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 ^(C1)his ^(F1)descendants shall become ^(F2)a multitude of nations."

So ^(C1)he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" And so he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but ^(C1)God will be with you, and ^(C2)bring you back to the land of your fathers.

"And I give you one ^(F1)portion more than your brothers, ^(C1)which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."