Genesis 48
1 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
這些事以後，有人告訴若瑟說：「你的父親病了。」若瑟遂帶了他的兩個兒子，默納協和厄弗辣因同去。
2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
人告訴雅各伯說：「你兒子若瑟來看你。」以色列遂勉強由床上坐起。
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
雅各伯對若瑟說：「全能者天主曾在客納罕地路次顯現給我，祝福了我，
4 and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
對我說：看! 我要使你繁殖增多，成為一大民族；我要將這地方賜給你未來的後裔，作為永久的產業。
5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
我未到埃及見你以前，你在埃及國所生的兩個兒子，由今起應歸於我；厄弗辣因和默納協屬我全如勒烏本和西默盎一樣。
6 Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.
在他們以後所生的子女，盡歸於你；不過在分產業時，他們應歸他們兄弟的名下。
7 Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
當我由帕丹回來時，在離厄弗辣大還有一段路程時，在路上你母親辣黑耳，就在我的悲痛中死在客納罕地，我就將她葬在去厄弗辣大，即白冷的路旁。」
8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
以色列看見若瑟的兒子，就問說：「他們是誰﹖」
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.”
若瑟回答父親說：「是天主在此地賜給我的兒子。」以色列說：「帶他們到我跟前來，我要祝福他們。」
10 Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
以色列因年老眼目昏花，看不清楚；若瑟遂領他們到他跟前；他就口親他們，抱住他們。
11 “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
以色列對若瑟說：「連見你的面我都沒有料到；現今，看，天主還使我見到了你的後裔。」
12 Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
若瑟遂由他父親膝間將孩子拉出來，俯伏在地下拜。
13 And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him.
然後若瑟又領他們兩個，右手領厄弗辣因到以色列左邊，左手領默納協到以色列右邊，到父親面前。
14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
以色列卻伸出右手，放在次子厄弗辣因的頭上，伸出左手放在長子默納協的頭上，故意交叉著自己的手。
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
遂祝福若瑟說：「願我的祖先亞巴郎和依撒格一生與之往來的天主，自我出生直到今日牧育我的天主，
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
救我脫離一切禍患的使者，祝福這兩個孩童! 願我的名及我祖先亞巴郎和依撒格的名，賴他們流傳! 願他們在地上生育繁昌! 」
17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s.
若瑟見他父親將右手放在厄弗辣因頭上，認為不對，便拿起父親的右手，由厄弗辣因頭上，移到默納協頭上，
18 “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
對父親說：「阿爸! 錯了；這個原是長子，應將你的右手放在他頭上。」
19 But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”
他的父親卻拒絕說：「我知道，我兒! 我知道，他也要成為一個民族，他也要昌盛；但他的弟弟卻比他更要昌盛，他的後裔要成為一大民族。」
20 So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
那一天他又這樣祝福他們說：「以色列將以你們祝福人說：願天主使你如厄弗辣因和默納協!」他又將厄弗辣因放在默納協前面。
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
然後以色列對若瑟說：「看，我快要死；但天主必與你們同在，必領你們回到你們祖先的地方去。
22 And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
現在我將由阿摩黎人手中，以我的刀劍弓矢奪得的那塊山地賜給你，使你比眾兄弟多得一分。」
