创世记 48
1 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和以法莲同去。
Sometime after this, Joseph was told, “Your father is sick.” So Joseph went to see him, taking with him his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 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。
When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” he gathered his strength and sat up in bed.
3 雅各对约瑟说：“全能的 神曾在迦南地的路斯向我显现，赐福与我，
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in Canaan, and he blessed me there.
4 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。’
He told me, ‘Listen! I will make you prosperous and make your descendants so numerous that you will become the ancestor of many nations, and I will give this land to your descendants to own forever.’
5 我未到埃及见你之先，你在埃及地所生的以法莲和玛拿西这两个儿子是我的，正如吕便和西缅是我的一样。
I am counting as mine your two sons Ephraim and Manasseh who were born here in Egypt before I arrived, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
6 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。
Any other children you have after them will be yours, and will share their inheritance within the land of their older brothers.
7 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）。”
I'm doing this because tragically for me when I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in Canaan some distance from Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (also known as Bethlehem).
8 以色列看见约瑟的两个儿子，就说：“这是谁？”
Israel saw Jacob's sons and said, “These are your sons then?”
9 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。”
“Yes, these are the sons God gave me here,” Joseph told his father. “Bring them over here so I can bless them,” he said.
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。
Israel's eyesight was failing because of his age and he couldn't see well, so Joseph brought them close to his father, and he kissed and hugged them.
11 以色列对约瑟说：“我想不到得见你的面，不料， 神又使我得见你的儿子。”
Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought I'd see your face again, and now God has even let me see your children!”
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。
Joseph took his sons from between Israel's knees, and bowed low with his face to the ground.
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。
Then Joseph placed Ephraim on his right so he would be on Israel's left, and Manasseh on his left so he would be on Israel's right, and then brought them over to Israel.
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）。
But when Israel reached out his hands, he crossed them over and placed his right hand on Ephraim the younger son, and placed his left on Manasseh, the firstborn.
15 他就给约瑟祝福说：“愿我祖亚伯拉罕和我父以撒所事奉的 神，就是一生牧养我直到今日的 神，
He blessed Joseph, saying, “May the God my grandfather Abraham and my father worshiped—the God who has taken care of me like a shepherd throughout my life until now,
16 救赎我脱离一切患难的那使者，赐福与这两个童子。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。”
the Angel who has saved me from all kinds of trouble—may he bless these boys. May my name and the names of my grandfather Abraham and father Isaac continue through them, and may they have many descendants that spread throughout the earth.”
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，要从以法莲头上挪到玛拿西的头上。
Joseph was unhappy when saw his father had put his right hand on Ephraim, so he took his father's hand to try and move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
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。”
“Not like that, father, this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head,” Joseph told him.
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。”
But his father refused, saying, “I know what I'm doing. Manasseh will also become an important people, but his younger brother will be greater than him, and his descendants will become a large nation.”
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。’”于是立以法莲在玛拿西以上。
So Israel blessed them that day and said: “In the future the people of Israel will use your names to give a blessing, saying, ‘May God bless you like he did Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In saying this he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.
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。
Then Israel said to Joseph, “I'm going to die soon, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
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分。”
I'm also giving you something in addition to what I'm giving your brothers—piece of land on the mountain slope of Shechem that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
