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Genesis 48:8-20 CEV . . .Jacob was very old and almost blind. He did not recognize the two boys, and so he asked Joseph, "Who are these boys?" Joseph answered, "They are my sons. God has given them to me here in Egypt." "Bring them to me," Jacob said. "I want to give them my blessing." Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged and kissed them. (9) (SEE 48:8) (10) (SEE 48:8) (11) Jacob turned to Joseph and told him, "For many years I thought you were dead and that I would never see you again. But now God has even let me live to see your children." (12) Then Joseph made his sons move away from Jacob's knees, and Joseph bowed down in front of him with his face to the ground. (13) After Joseph got up, he brought his two sons over to Jacob again. He led his younger son Ephraim to the left side of Jacob and his older son Manasseh to the right. (14) But before Jacob gave them his blessing, he crossed his arms, putting his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on the head of Manasseh. (15) Then he gave Joseph his blessing and said: My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac worshiped the LORD God. He has been with me all my life, (16) and his angel has kept me safe. Now I pray that he will bless these boys and that my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac will live on because of them. I ask God to give them many children and many descendants as well. (17) Joseph did not like it when he saw his father place his right hand on the head of the younger son. So he tried to move his father's right hand from Ephraim's head and place it on Manasseh. (18) Joseph said, "Father, you have made a mistake. This is the older boy. Put your right hand on him." (19) But his father said, "Son, I know what I am doing. It's true that Manasseh's family will someday become a great nation. But Ephraim will be even greater than Manasseh, because his descendants will become many great nations." (20) Jacob told him that in the future the people of Israel would ask God's blessings on one another by saying, "I pray for God to bless you as much as he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh." Jacob put Ephraim's name first to show that he would be greater than Manasseh.
God had a special and tender love for Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh, but especially for the younger Ephraim. So much so He would later refer to the whole Jewish Nation as Ephraim: Hosea 11:3-4
Genesis 48:8-20 GNB . . .When Jacob saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are these boys?" (9) Joseph answered, "These are my sons, whom God has given me here in Egypt." Jacob said, "Bring them to me so that I may bless them." (10) Jacob's eyesight was failing because of his age, and he could not see very well. Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged them and kissed them. (11) Jacob said to Joseph, "I never expected to see you again, and now God has even let me see your children." (12) Then Joseph took them from Jacob's lap and bowed down before him with his face to the ground. (13) Joseph put Ephraim at Jacob's left and Manasseh at his right. (14) But Jacob crossed his hands, and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, even though he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, who was the older. (15) Then he blessed Joseph: "May God, whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac served, bless these boys! May God, who has led me to this very day, bless them! (16) May the angel, who has rescued me from all harm, bless them! May my name and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac live on through these boys! May they have many children, many descendants!" (17) Joseph was upset when he saw that his father had put his right hand on Ephraim's head; so he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to the head of Manasseh. (18) He said to his father, "Not that way, father. This is the older boy; put your right hand on his head." (19) His father refused, saying, "I know, son, I know. Manasseh's descendants will also become a great people. But his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become great nations." (20) So he blessed them that day, saying, "The Israelites will use your names when they pronounce blessings. They will say, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' " In this way Jacob put Ephraim before Manasseh.
Genesis 48:8-20 GW . . .When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are they?" (9) "They are my sons, whom God has given me here in Egypt," Joseph answered his father. Then Israel said, "Please bring them to me so that I may bless them." (10) Israel's eyesight was failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to his father, and Israel hugged them and kissed them. (11) Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see you again, and now God has even let me see your sons." (12) Joseph took them off his father's lap and bowed with his face touching the ground. (13) Then Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right, facing Israel's left, and Manasseh on his left, facing Israel's right, and brought them close to him. (14) But Israel crossed his hands and reached out. He put his right hand on Ephraim's head, although Ephraim was the younger son. He put his left hand on Manasseh's head, although Manasseh was older. (15) Then Jacob blessed Joseph, "May God, in whose presence my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac walked, may God, who has been my shepherd all my life to this very day, (16) may the Messenger, who has rescued me from all evil, bless these boys. May they be called by my name and by the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac. May they have many children on the earth." (17) When Joseph saw that his father had put his right hand on Ephraim's head, he didn't like it. So he took his father's hand in order to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's. (18) Then he said to his father, "That's not right, Father! This is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head." (19) His father refused and said, "I know, Son, I know! Manasseh, too, will become a nation, and he, too, will be important. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be more important than he, and his descendants will become many nations." (20) That day he blessed them. He said, "Because of you, Israel will speak this blessing, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" In this way Israel put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
Genesis 48:8-20 NWT . . .Israel saw Joseph’s sons and said: “Who are these?” 9 So Joseph said to his father: “They are my sons whom God has given me in this place.” At this he said: “Bring them, please, to me that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dull from old age. He was unable to see. Accordingly he brought them close to him, and he then kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel went on to say to Joseph: “I had no idea of seeing your face, but here God has let me see also your offspring.” 12 After that Joseph brought them out away from his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. 13 Joseph now took the two of them, E´phra·im by his right hand to Israel’s left, and Ma·nas´seh by his left hand to Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14 However, Israel put out his right hand and placed it on E´phra·im’s head, although he was the younger, and his left hand upon Ma·nas´seh’s head. He purposely laid his hands so, since Ma·nas´seh was the firstborn. 15 And he proceeded to bless Joseph and to say: “The [true] God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The [true] God who has been shepherding me during all my existence until this day, 16 The angel who has been recovering me from all calamity, bless the boys. And let my name be called upon them and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, And let them increase to a multitude in the midst of the earth.” 17 When Joseph saw that his father kept his right hand placed on E´phra·im’s head, it was displeasing to him, and he tried to take hold of his father’s hand to remove it from E´phra·im’s head to Ma·nas´seh’s head. 18 Hence Joseph said to his father: “Not so, my father, because this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father kept refusing and said: “I know it, my son, I know it. He too will become a people and he too will become great. But, just the same, his younger brother will become greater than he will, and his offspring will become the full equivalent of nations.” 20 And he continued to bless them on that day, saying: “By means of you let Israel repeatedly pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God constitute you like E´phra·im and like Ma·nas´seh.’” Thus he kept putting E´phra·im before Ma·nas´seh.
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You will note the reference windows often include more than one translation of the Bible. The reason is to strive to gain the best possible understanding of the original Hebrew and Greek. Since we don't speak those languages, we rely on those who have come before and made the effort to translate those texts into English for us. Considering several translations gives the benefit of the understanding of several translation committees or individuals. The Translations we quote are:
ALT - Analytical Literal Translation
ASV - American Standard Version (by the American revision committee in 1897).
BBE - 1965 Bible in Basic English
Bishops - 1568 Bishop's Bible
Calvin - 1856 by Calvin Translation Society
CEV - Contemporary English Version
Coverdale - 1535 Miles Coverdale Bible
Darby - 1889 Darby Bible
DRB - 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible
ESV - English Standard Version
GNB - Good News Bible
GW - God's Word Bible
ISV - International Standard Version
KJV - 1769 King James Version
KJV-1611 - Old King James Version from 1611
LitNT - Literal New Testament
LITV - Literal Translation of the Holy Bible
MKJV - 1962 Modern King James Version
Murdock - 1851 James Murdock New Testament
MWT - Modern World Translation
NWT - New World Translation
RV - Revised Version
Webster - 1833 Webster Bible
WTNT - 1525-26 William Tyndale New Testament
Wycliffe - 1394 Wycliffe Bible
YLT - 1862/1898 Young's Literal Translation
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