great age. He took them to him and kissed them and said to Joseph: I am
not defrauded from the sight of thee, and furthermore God hath showed to
me thy seed. Then when Joseph took them from his father's lap, he
worshipped him kneeling low to the earth, and set Ephraim on his right
side, and on the left side of Israel, and Manasseh on the right side of
his father Israel, which took his right hand and laid it on the head of
Ephraim the younger brother, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh
which was first born. Then Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph and said:
God, in whose sight walked my fathers Abraham and Isaac, God that hath
fed me from my youth unto this present day, the angel that hath kept me
from all evil bless these children, and my name be called on them, and
the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and grow they into multitude
upon earth. Then Joseph seeing that his father set his right hand upon
the head of Ephraim the younger brother took it heavily, and took his
father's hand and would have laid it on the head of Manasseh, and said
to his father; Nay father, it is not convenient, that ye do, this is the
first begotten son, set thy right hand on his head. Which renied that
and would not do so, but said: I wot, my son, I wot what I do, and this
son shall increase into peoples and multiply, but his younger brother
shall be greater than he, and his seed shall grow into gentiles, and
blessed them, saying that same time: In thee shall be blessed Israel,
and shall be said: God make thee like to Ephraim and Manasseh. And he
said to Joseph his son: Lo! now I die and God shall be with you, and
shall reduce and bring you again into the land of your fathers; and I
give to thee one part above thy brethren, which I gat and won from the
hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow. Then Jacob called his sons
tofore him and said to them:

Gather ye altogether tofore me, that I may show to you things that be to
come, and hear your father Israel. And there he told to each of them his