雅各祝福以法蓮和瑪拿西

48 後來,有人來通知約瑟,說他父親病了,約瑟就帶著兩個兒子瑪拿西和以法蓮去探望父親。 雅各聽說約瑟來了,就強撐著從床上坐起來, 對約瑟說:「全能的上帝曾經在迦南的路斯向我顯現,賜福給我。 祂對我說,『我必使你生養眾多,子孫興旺,並把迦南賜給你和你的後裔永遠作產業。』

「我來之前,你在埃及生的兩個兒子以法蓮和瑪拿西都算我的,他們可以像呂便和西緬一樣承受我的產業。 除了他們以外,你其他子女仍然歸你,這些子女可以在他們弟兄的名下繼承產業。 我從巴旦回來的路上,拉結死在了迦南,那地方離以法他還有一段路程,我把她葬在通往以法他的路旁。」以法他就是伯利恆。

以色列看見約瑟的兩個兒子,就問:「這是誰?」 約瑟說:「是上帝在這裡賜給我的兒子。」以色列說:「把他們帶過來,我要祝福他們。」 10 以色列因為年老眼睛已經昏花。約瑟把兒子帶到他面前,他就親吻他們、擁抱他們。 11 以色列對約瑟說:「我以為再也見不到你了,上帝竟然還讓我見到了你的兒子!」 12 約瑟把兩個兒子從以色列的膝旁領開,自己向父親俯伏下拜, 13 隨後左手牽著瑪拿西,右手牽著以法蓮,把他們分別領到以色列的右邊和左邊。 14 但以色列卻兩手交叉,把右手放在約瑟次子以法蓮的頭上,左手放在約瑟長子瑪拿西的頭上。 15 他祝福約瑟說:「願我祖先亞伯拉罕和以撒敬拜的上帝,牧養我一生直到今天的上帝, 16 救我脫離一切患難的天使,賜福這兩個孩子。願我和我祖先亞伯拉罕及以撒的名字藉著他們流傳。願他們在地上子孫興旺。」

17 約瑟見父親把右手放在以法蓮的頭上,感到不悅,就把父親的右手從以法蓮的頭上挪到瑪拿西頭上, 18 對父親說:「父親,你弄錯了,這才是長子,你應該把右手按在他的頭上。」 19 他父親卻不同意,說:「我兒啊,我知道,我知道。他必發展成一個強大的民族,但他弟弟將比他更強大,他弟弟的後裔必成為多個民族。」 20 雅各那天祝福他們,說:「以色列人必引用你們的名祝福人,說,『願上帝使你們像以法蓮和瑪拿西一樣!』」他把以法蓮排在瑪拿西前面。

21 以色列對約瑟說:「我快死了,但上帝必與你們同在,帶你們回到你們祖先的土地。 22 我要把我用刀和弓從亞摩利人手上奪來的那塊地留給你,讓你比其他弟兄多得一份。」

48 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Yosef, Hinei, Avicha is choleh (ill); and he took with him his two banim, Menasheh and Ephrayim.

And one told Ya’akov, and said, Hinei, the ben of thee Yosef cometh unto thee; and Yisroel strengthened himself, and sat up upon the mittah (bed).

And Ya’akov said unto Yosef, El Shaddai appeared unto me at Luz in Eretz Kena’an, and made on me a brocha,

And said unto me, Hineni, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a kehal of ammim; and will give HaAretz Hazot to thy zera after thee for an achuzzat olam (everlasting possession).

And now thy two banim, Ephrayim and Menasheh, which were born unto thee in Eretz Mitzrayim before I came unto thee into Mitzrayim, are mine; like Reuven and Shimon, they shall be mine.

And thy moledet, which are born to thee after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the shem of their achim in their nachalah.

And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in Eretz Kena’an in the way, when there was yet but a space of land to go unto Ephratah; and I buried her there by the derech Ephrat; the same is Beit-Lechem.

And Yisroel beheld Bnei Yosef, and said, Who are these?

And Yosef said unto aviv, They are my banim, whom Elohim hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, now, unto me, and I will make upon them a brocha.

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

11 And Yisroel said unto Yosef, I never expected to see thy face; and, hinei, Elohim hath showed me also thy zera.

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

13 And Yosef took them both, Ephrayim in his yamin toward smol Yisroel, and Menasheh on his smol toward yamin Yisroel, and brought them near unto him.

14 And Yisroel stretched out his yamin, and laid it upon rosh Ephraim, who was the younger, and his smol upon rosh Manasseh, guiding his hands intentionally; for Menasheh was the bechor.

15 And he made on Yosef a brocha, and said, HaElohim, before whom my Avot Avraham and Yitzchak did walk, HaElohim Who was Roeh to me all my life long unto this day,

16 The Malach which redeemed me from kol rah, may he make a brocha on the ne’arim, and let my shem be named on them, and the shem of my Avot Avraham and Yitzchak; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of ha’aretz.

17 And when Yosef saw that aviv laid his yamin upon the rosh Ephrayim, it displeased him; and he took hold of yad aviv, to remove it from rosh Ephrayim unto rosh Menasheh.

18 And Yosef said unto aviv, Not so, Avi; for this is the bechor; put thy yamin upon his rosh.

19 And aviv refused, and said, I know it, beni (my son), I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly achiv hakaton shall be greater than he, and his zera shall become a multitude of Goyim.

20 And he made a brocha on them that day, saying, In thee shall Yisroel bless, saying, Elohim make thee like Ephrayim and like Menasheh; and he set Ephrayim before Menasheh.

21 And Yisroel said unto Yosef, Hinei I die; but Elohim shall be with you, and bring you back unto the Eretz Avoteichem.

22 Moreover, I have given to thee one portion above thy achim, which I took out of the yad HaEmori with my cherev and with my keshet.

48 And it cometh to pass, after these things, that [one] saith to Joseph, `Lo, thy father is sick;' and he taketh his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim.

And [one] declareth to Jacob, and saith, `Lo, thy son Joseph is coming unto thee;' and Israel doth strengthen himself, and sit upon the bed.

And Jacob saith unto Joseph, `God Almighty hath appeared unto me, in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blesseth me,

and saith unto me, Lo, I am making thee fruitful, and have multiplied thee, and given thee for an assembly of peoples, and given this land to thy seed after thee, a possession age-during.

`And now, thy two sons, who are born to thee in the land of Egypt, before my coming unto thee to Egypt, mine they [are]; Ephraim and Manasseh, as Reuben and Simeon they are mine;

and thy family which thou hast begotten after them are thine; by the name of their brethren they are called in their inheritance.

`And I -- in my coming in from Padan-[Aram] Rachel hath died by me in the land of Canaan, in the way, while yet a kibrath of land to enter Ephrata, and I bury her there in the way of Ephrata, which [is] Bethlehem.'

And Israel seeth the sons of Joseph, and saith, `Who [are] these?'

and Joseph saith unto his father, `They [are] my sons, whom God hath given to me in this [place];' and he saith, `Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I bless them.'

10 And the eyes of Israel have been heavy from age, he is unable to see; and he bringeth them nigh unto him, and he kisseth them, and cleaveth to them;

11 and Israel saith unto Joseph, `To see thy face I had not thought, and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.'

12 And Joseph bringeth them out from between his knees, and boweth himself on his face to the earth;

13 and Joseph taketh them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left towards Israel's right, and bringeth [them] nigh to him.

14 And Israel putteth out his right hand, and placeth [it] upon the head of Ephraim, who [is] the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh; he hath guided his hands wisely, for Manasseh [is] the first-born.

15 And he blesseth Joseph, and saith, `God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked habitually: God who is feeding me from my being unto this day:

16 the Messenger who is redeeming me from all evil doth bless the youths, and my name is called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and they increase into a multitude in the midst of the land.'

17 And Joseph seeth that his father setteth his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it is wrong in his eyes, and he supporteth the hand of his father to turn it aside from off the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh;

18 and Joseph saith unto his father, `Not so, my father, for this [is] the first-born; set thy right hand on his head.'

19 And his father refuseth, and saith, `I have known, my son, I have known; he also becometh a people, and he also is great, and yet, his young brother is greater than he, and his seed is the fulness of the nations;'

20 and he blesseth them in that day, saying, `By thee doth Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh;' and he setteth Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 And Israel saith unto Joseph, `Lo, I am dying, and God hath been with you, and hath brought you back unto the land of your fathers;

22 and I -- I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.'

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.