Genesis 48:13-22 - Ephraim's Greater Blessing

¹³ Then took Joseph them both: Ephraim in his righthand, toward Israel's lefthand, and Manasseh in his lefthand, toward Israel's righthand, and brought them unto him. ¹⁴ And Israel stretched out his righthand and laid it upon Ephraim's head which was the younger, and his lefthand upon Manasseh's head, crossing his hands; for Manasseh was the elder. ¹⁵ And he blessed Joseph saying, "God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, and the God which hath fed me all my life long unto this day; ¹⁶ And the angel which hath delivered me from all evil, bless these lads: that they may be called after my name, and after my father Abraham and Isaac, and that they may grow and multiply upon the earth."

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. And he lift up his father's hand, to have removed it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head, ¹⁸ and said unto his father, "Not so my father, for this is the eldest. Put thy righthand upon his head."

¹⁹ And his father would not, but said, "I know it well my son, I know it well. He shall be also a people and shall be great. But of a truth his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall be full of people." ²⁰ And he blessed them, saying, "At the example of these, the Israelites shall bless and say, 'God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh.'" Thus set he Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹ And Israel said unto Joseph, "Behold, I die. And God shall be with you and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. ²² Moreover, I give unto thee a portion of land above thy brethren which I gat out of the hands of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow."