It happened after these things, that someone said to Yusuf, “Behold, your father is sick.“ He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2Someone told Yaqub, and said, “Behold, your son Yusuf comes to you,“ and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed. 3Yaqub said to Yusuf, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed[1] after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine. 6Your issue, who you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem).“
8Israel saw Yusuf’s sons, and said, “Who are these?“
9Yusuf said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.“
He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.“ 10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11Israel said to Yusuf, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and, behold, God has let me see your seed also.“ 12Yusuf brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13Yusuf took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near to him. 14Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15He blessed Yusuf, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Ibrahim and Ishaq did walk, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Ibrahim and Ishaq. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.“
17When Yusuf saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Yusuf said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.“
19His 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 will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations.“ 20He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh‘” He set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21Israel said to Yusuf, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.“
[1] 48:4 Explained in the Injil, Galatians 3:16.