Genesis 48
1 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Emva kwesikhatshana uJosefa wabikelwa ukuthi, “Uyihlo uyagula.” Ngakho wathatha amadodana akhe womabili, uManase lo-Efrayimi wahamba lawo.
2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
UJakhobe esetsheliwe kwathiwa, “Indodana yakho uJosefa isifikile kuwe,” u-Israyeli wazibamba ngamandla wavuka embhedeni.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
UJakhobe wathi kuJosefa, “UNkulunkulu uSomandla wabonakala kimi eLuzi elizweni laseKhenani, khonapho wangibusisa.
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.’
Wathi kimi, ‘Ngizakwenza ube lenzalo enengi kakhulu. Ngizalenza libe yisizwe sabantu, njalo ngizakupha izizukulwane zakho lelilizwe libe yilifa lazo elingapheliyo ngemva kwakho.’
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.
Zwana-ke, amadodana akho amabili owawazalela eGibhithe ngingakabuyi lapha kuwe azathathwa njengawami; u-Efrayimi loManase bazakuba ngabami, kanjengoba uRubheni loSimiyoni bengabami.
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.
Labobantwana abazelwe ngemva kwabo bazakuba ngabakho; kulesosigodi esizakuba yilifa labo bazabhaliswa ngaphansi kwamabizo abanewabo.
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).
Ngathi ngibuya ngivela ePhadani, ngehlelwa lusizi ngafelwa nguRasheli elizweni laseKhenani silokhu sisendleleni, bucwadlana kwe-Efrathi. Ngamngcwaba khonapho eceleni kwendlela eya e-Efrathi” (kutsho eBhethilehema).
8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
U-Israyeli wathi ngokubona amadodana kaJosefa wabuza wathi, “Ngobani laba?”
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.”
UJosefa wathi kuyise, “Ngamadodana uNkulunkulu anginike wona lapha.” U-Israyeli wasesithi, “Balethe kimi ukuze ngibabusise.”
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.
Ngalesosikhathi amehlo ka-Israyeli ayesefiphala ngenxa yokuluphala, engasabonisisi. Ngakho uJosefa wasondeza amadodana akhe kuye, uyise wawanga wawagona.
11 “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa, “Ngangingathembi ukuthi ngizaphinda ngibubone ubuso bakho njalo, ikanti manje uNkulunkulu usengivumele ukubona labantwabakho labo.”
12 Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
UJosefa wasebasusa emadolweni ka-Israyeli wakhothamela phansi ngobuso.
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.
UJosefa wasebathatha bobabili, u-Efrayimi kwesokunene sakhe eqondane lesokhohlo sika-Israyeli, kwathi uManase waba ngakwesokhohlo waqondana lesokunene sika-Israyeli, wabasondeza kuye.
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.
Kodwa u-Israyeli welula isandla sakhe sokunene wasibeka ekhanda lika-Efrayimi, loba nje yena wayengomncinyane, wasenqumisa izingalo zakhe zaphambana, wabeka isandla sakhe sokhohlo ekhanda likaManase, loba nje uManase wayelizibulo.
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,
Ngakho wasebusisa uJosefa wathi, “Sengathi uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bami, u-Abhrahama lo-Isaka, abahamba phambi kwakhe, uNkulunkulu obengumelusi wami ukuphila kwami konke kuze kube namuhla,
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.”
iNgilosi engihlengileyo kuzozonke izingozi, sengathi angabusisa abafana laba. Sengathi bangabizwa ngebizo lami langamabizo abobabamkhulu u-Abhrahama lo-Isaka, njalo sengathi banganda kakhulu emhlabeni.”
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.
Kwathi uJosefa ebona uyise ebeka isandla sakhe sokunene ekhanda lika-Efrayimi akwaze kwamthokozisa; ngakho wasibamba isandla sikayise wasisusa ekhanda lika-Efrayimi ukuthi asibeke kwelikaManase.
18 “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
UJosefa wathi kuye, “Hatshi, baba, lo nguye izibulo; beka isandla sakho sokunene kwelakhe ikhanda.”
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.”
Kodwa uyise wala, wathi, “Ngiyazi, ndodana yami, ngiyazi. Laye njalo uzakuba ngabantu abanengi, njalo laye uzakuba mkhulu. Loba kunjalo, umnawakhe uzakuba mkhulu kulaye lezizukulwane zakhe zizakuba ngamaxuku ezizwe.”
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.
Wababusisa ngalolusuku wathi, “Ngebizo lakho u-Israyeli uzakutsho lesisibusiso: ‘Sengathi uNkulunkulu angakwenza ube njengo-Efrayimi loManase.’” Ngakho wabeka u-Efrayimi phambi kukaManase.
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.
U-Israyeli wasesithi kuJosefa, “Sengizakufa, kodwa uNkulunkulu uzakuba lani, alibuyisele elizweni labokhokho benu.
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.”
Wena, njengomuntu olawula abanewenu, ngikunika umqolo welizwe engawemuka ama-Amori ngenkemba yami lomtshoko wami.”
