Though Judah was the strongest among his brothers and a leader descended from him, ¹  the right of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.)

So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ¹  “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me.

The first lot went to Asaph’s son Joseph and his relatives and sons – twelve in all, ¹  the second to Gedaliah and his relatives and sons – twelve in all,

Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ¹  bore them to him.

After these things Joseph was told, ¹  “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

The time ¹  for Israel to die approached, so he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh ²  and show me kindness and faithfulness. ³  Do not bury me in Egypt,

‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept. ¹ 

“As for you, son of man, take one branch, and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another branch and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the branch of Ephraim and all the house of Israel associated with him.’