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约瑟携二子见雅各

48 这事以后,有人告诉约瑟说:“你的父亲病了。”他就带着两个儿子玛拿西以法莲同去。 有人告诉雅各说:“请看,你儿子约瑟到你这里来了。”以色列就勉强在床上坐起来。 雅各约瑟说:“全能的神曾在迦南地的路斯向我显现,赐福于我, 对我说:‘我必使你生养众多,成为多民,又要把这地赐给你的后裔,永远为业。’ 我未到埃及见你之先,你在埃及地所生的以法莲玛拿西这两个儿子是我的,正如鲁本西缅是我的一样。 你在他们以后所生的就是你的,他们可以归于他们弟兄的名下得产业。 至于我,我从巴旦来的时候,拉结死在我眼前,在迦南地的路上,离以法他还有一段路程,我就把她葬在以法他的路上。”以法他就是伯利恒

雅各给约瑟祝福

以色列看见约瑟的两个儿子,就说:“这是谁?” 约瑟对他父亲说:“这是神在这里赐给我的儿子。”以色列说:“请你领他们到我跟前,我要给他们祝福。” 10 以色列年纪老迈,眼睛昏花,不能看见。约瑟领他们到他跟前,他就和他们亲嘴,抱着他们。 11 以色列约瑟说:“我想不到得见你的面,不料,神又使我得见你的儿子。” 12 约瑟把两个儿子从以色列两膝中领出来,自己就脸伏于地下拜。 13 随后,约瑟又拉着他们两个——以法莲在他的右手里,对着以色列的左手,玛拿西在他的左手里,对着以色列的右手——领他们到以色列的跟前。 14 以色列伸出右手来,按在以法莲的头上,以法莲乃是次子;又剪搭过左手来,按在玛拿西的头上,玛拿西原是长子。 15 他就给约瑟祝福说:“愿我祖亚伯拉罕和我父以撒所侍奉的神,就是一生牧养我直到今日的神, 16 救赎我脱离一切患难的那使者,赐福于这两个童子。愿他们归在我的名下和我祖亚伯拉罕,我父以撒的名下,又愿他们在世界中生养众多。” 17 约瑟见他父亲把右手按在以法莲的头上,就不喜悦,便提起他父亲的手,要从以法莲的头上挪到玛拿西的头上。 18 约瑟对他父亲说:“我父,不是这样。这本是长子,求你把右手按在他的头上。” 19 他父亲不从,说:“我知道,我儿,我知道。他也必成为一族,也必昌大。只是他的兄弟将来比他还大,他兄弟的后裔要成为多族。” 20 当日就给他们祝福说:“以色列人要指着你们祝福说:‘愿神使你如以法莲玛拿西一样。’”于是,立以法莲玛拿西以上。 21 以色列又对约瑟说:“我要死了,但神必与你们同在,领你们回到你们列祖之地。 22 并且我从前用弓用刀从亚摩利人手下夺的那块地,我都赐给你,使你比众弟兄多得一份。”

Blessings for Manasseh and Ephraim

48 Some time later Joseph learned that his father was very sick. So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to his father. When Joseph arrived, someone told Israel, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” Israel was very weak, but he tried hard and sat up in his bed.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “God All-Powerful appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan. God blessed me there. He said to me, ‘I will make you a great family. I will give you many children and you will be a great people. Your family will own this land forever.’ Now you have two sons. These two sons were born here in the country of Egypt before I came. Your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, will be like my own sons. They will be like Reuben and Simeon to me. So these two boys will be my sons. They will share in everything I own. But if you have other sons, they will be your sons. But they will also be like sons to Ephraim and Manasseh—that is, in the future, they will share in everything that Ephraim and Manasseh own. On the trip from Paddan Aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. This made me very sad. We were still traveling toward Ephrath. I buried her there on the road to Ephrath.” (Ephrath is Bethlehem.)

Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons. Israel said, “Who are these boys?”

Joseph said to his father, “These are my sons. These are the boys God gave me.”

Israel said, “Bring your sons to me. I will bless them.”

10 Israel was old and his eyes were not good. So Joseph brought the boys close to his father. Israel kissed and hugged the boys. 11 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again. But look! God has let me see you and your children.”

12 Then Joseph took the boys off Israel’s lap, and they bowed down in front of his father. 13 Joseph put Ephraim on his right side and Manasseh on his left side. (So Ephraim was on Israel’s left side, and Manasseh was on Israel’s right side.) 14 But Israel crossed his hands and put his right hand on the head of the younger boy Ephraim. Then he put his left hand on Manasseh, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And Israel blessed Joseph and said,

“My ancestors, Abraham and Isaac, worshiped our God,
    and that God has led me all my life.
16 He was the Angel who saved me from all my troubles.
    And I pray that he will bless these boys.
Now they will have my name
    and the name of our ancestors, Abraham and Isaac.
I pray that they will grow to become great families and nations
    on earth.”

17 Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on Ephraim’s head. This didn’t make Joseph happy. Joseph took his father’s hand because he wanted to move it from Ephraim’s head and put it on Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “You have your right hand on the wrong boy. Manasseh is the firstborn. Put your right hand on him.”

19 But his father refused and said, “I know, son. I know. Manasseh is the firstborn. He will be great and will be the father of many people. But his younger brother will be greater than he is. And the younger brother’s family will be much larger.”

20 So Israel blessed them that day. He said,

“The Israelites will use your names
    whenever they bless someone.
They will say, ‘May God make you
    like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

In this way Israel made Ephraim greater than Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, my time to die is almost here, but God will still be with you. He will lead you back to the land of your ancestors. 22 I have given you one portion more than I gave to your brothers. I gave you the land that I won from the Amorites. I used my sword and bow to take that land.”

Manasseh and Ephraim

48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim(A) along with him. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel(B) rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[a](C) appeared to me at Luz(D) in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me(E) and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers.(F) I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land(G) as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’(H)

“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt(I) before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,(J) just as Reuben(K) and Simeon(L) are mine. Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. As I was returning from Paddan,[b](M) to my sorrow(N) Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).(O)

When Israel(P) saw the sons of Joseph,(Q) he asked, “Who are these?”

“They are the sons God has given me here,”(R) Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless(S) them.”

10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.(T) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them(U) and embraced them.(V)

11 Israel(W) said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,(X) and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”(Y)

12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees(Z) and bowed down with his face to the ground.(AA) 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand,(AB) and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel(AC) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,(AD) though he was the younger,(AE) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.(AF)

15 Then he blessed(AG) Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers
    Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,(AH)
the God who has been my shepherd(AI)
    all my life to this day,
16 the Angel(AJ) who has delivered me from all harm(AK)
    —may he bless(AL) these boys.(AM)
May they be called by my name
    and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(AN)
and may they increase greatly
    on the earth.”(AO)

17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand(AP) on Ephraim’s head(AQ) he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”(AR)

19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.(AS) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,(AT) and his descendants will become a group of nations.(AU) 20 He blessed(AV) them that day(AW) and said,

“In your[c] name will Israel(AX) pronounce this blessing:(AY)
    ‘May God make you like Ephraim(AZ) and Manasseh.(BA)’”

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you[d](BB) and take you[e] back to the land of your[f] fathers.(BC) 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[g](BD) than to your brothers,(BE) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword(BF) and my bow.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 48:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Genesis 48:7 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  3. Genesis 48:20 The Hebrew is singular.
  4. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  5. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  6. Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
  7. Genesis 48:22 The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem.

48 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.

And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these?

And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.