“Now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of my fathers, up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was set apart from his brothers.
“Still, the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever, for He chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, although you are small among the tribes of Judah, from you will come forth for Me one who will be ruler over Israel. His origins are from of old, from ancient times.
On the east side toward the rising of the sun the standard of the camp of Judah will camp throughout their armies, and Nahshon the son of Amminadab will be captain of the sons of Judah.
‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are no longer least among the princes of Judah; for out of you shall come a ruler, who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
On the contrary, he must acknowledge the son of the unloved for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
His glory is like the firstborn of his bull, and his horns are like the horns of a wild ox; with them he will push the peoples together to the ends of the earth; they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
The descendants of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God about you and me at Kadesh Barnea.
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from ruling over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for Myself from among his sons.”