rsv Genesis:48:9-20 SEEK
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Joseph said to his father , "
They are my sons ,
whom God has given me here ."
And he said , "
Bring them to me ,
I pray you ,
that I may bless them ."
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Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age ,
so that he could not see .
So Joseph brought them near him ;
and he kissed them and embraced them .
*
And Israel said to Joseph , "
I had not thought to see your face ;
and lo ,
God has let me see your children also ."
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Then Joseph removed them from his knees ,
and he bowed himself with his face to the earth .
*
And Joseph took them both ,
E '
phraim in his right hand toward Israel '
s left hand ,
and Manas '
seh in his left hand toward Israel '
s right hand ,
and brought them near him .
*
And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of E '
phraim ,
who was the younger ,
and his left hand upon the head of Manas '
seh ,
crossing his hands ,
for Manas '
seh was the first-born .
*
And he blessed Joseph ,
and said , "
The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked ,
the God who has led me all my life long to this day ,
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the angel who has redeemed me from all evil ,
bless the lads ;
and in them let my name be perpetuated ,
and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac ;
and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth ."
*
When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of E '
phraim ,
it displeased him ;
and he took his father '
s hand ,
to remove it from E '
phraim '
s head to Manas '
seh '
s head .
*
And Joseph said to his father , "
Not so ,
my father ;
for this one is the first-born ;
put your right hand upon his head ."
*
But his father refused ,
and said , "
I know ,
my son ,
I know ;
he also shall become a people ,
and he also shall be great ;
nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he ,
and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations ."
*
So he blessed them that day ,
saying , "
By you Israel will pronounce blessings ,
saying , `
God make you as E '
phraim and as Manas '
seh '";
and thus he put E '
phraim before Manas '
seh .