Bereshit 48

And it was after these things, that Joseph was told: 'Behold, your father is ill.' And he took his two sons with him — Manasseh and Ephraim.

Then Jacob was told, saying: 'Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you.' And Israel strengthened himself, and sat up upon the bed.

And Jacob said to Joseph: 'Know that the Sufficient Power appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan; and He blessed me.

And He said to me: "Behold, I shall make you fruitful, and multiply you; and I shall make of you a host of nations; and I shall give this land to your offspring after you as an eternal possession."

And now — your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt — they shall be ascribed to me; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be to me like Reuben and Simeon.

And your offspring whom you shall beget after them shall be ascribed to you; and they shall be reckoned by the names of their brothers in their inheritance.

And as for me — when I came from Paddan, Rachel died upon me in the land of Canaan; and a mile of distance remained for me to enter Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath — that is Bethlehem; and there was not born to me after that anything.'

And when Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said: 'Who are these?'

Joseph said to him: 'They are my sons, whom God has granted to me here.' He said: 'Bring them near to me, that I may bless them.'

And the eyes of Israel had grown heavy from old age; he could not see. And he brought them near to him; and he kissed them and embraced them.

Israel said to Joseph: 'To see your face I had not hoped — and behold, God has also let me see your offspring.'

Then Joseph brought them out from upon his knees; and he bowed down with his face upon the earth.

Then he took the two of them — Ephraim with his right hand, on the left of Israel; and Manasseh with his left hand, on the right of Israel; and he brought them near to him.

And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger; and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh. He guided his hands so, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

And he blessed Joseph, and said: 'The God in whose obedience my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked — He is the God who has shepherded me from the time I was until this day —

the angel through whom He has rescued me from every evil — may He bless these two boys; and may my name be called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into multitudes in the midst of the earth.'

And when Joseph saw that his father had set his right hand upon Ephraim's head, it was displeasing to him; and he supported it, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

And he said to him: 'Not so, my father — for this one is the elder; set your right upon his head.'

But he refused, and said: 'I know, my son; this one too shall multiply, and a nation shall be from him; but I know that his younger brother shall multiply more than he, and his offspring shall be a fullness of nations.'

And he blessed them on that day, and said: 'In you shall the children of Israel bless, saying to one another: "May God make you as Ephraim and Manasseh."' And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

Then Israel said to Joseph: 'Behold, I am dying; and God shall be with you, and shall bring you back to the land of your fathers.

And I have given you a portion greater than your brothers — which I took from the hand of the Amorites, by my sword and my bow.'