< Genesis 48 >

1 And it came to pass after these things, that it was reported to Joseph, Behold, your father is ill; and, having taken his two sons, Manasse and Ephraim, he came to Jacob.
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 And it was reported to Jacob, saying, Behold, your son Joseph comes to you; and Israel having strengthened himself, sat upon the 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 And Jacob said to Joseph, My God appeared to me in Luza, in the land of Chanaan, and 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 said to me, Behold, I will increase you, and multiply you, and will make of you multitudes of nations; and I will give this land to you, and to your seed after you, for 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 Now then your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt, before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasse, as Ruben and Symeon they shall be 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 And the children which you shall beget hereafter, shall be in the name of their brethren; they shall be named after their inheritances.
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 And as for me, when I came out of Mesopotamia of Syria, Rachel, your mother, died in the land of Chanaan, as I drew night to the horse-course of Chabratha of the land [of Chanaan], so as to come to Ephratha; and I buried her in the road of the course; this 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 And when Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he said, Who are these to you?
以色列看見若瑟的兒子,就問說:「他們是誰﹖」
9 And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God gave me here; and Jacob said, Bring me them, 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 the eyes of Israel were dim through age, and he could not see; and he brought them near to him, and he 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 And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I have not been deprived of [seeing] your face, and behold! God has showed me your seed also.
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 And Joseph brought them out from [between] his knees, and they did reverence to him, with their face to the ground.
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 his two sons, both Ephraim in his right hand, but on the left of Israel, and Manasse on his left hand, but on the right of Israel, and brought them near 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 having stretched out his right hand, laid it on the head of Ephraim, and he was the younger; and his left hand on the head of Manasse, [guiding] his hands crosswise.
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 And he blessed them and said, The God in whose sight my fathers were well pleasing, [even] Abraam and Isaac, the God who continues to feed me from my youth until 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 delivers me from all evils, bless these boys, and my name shall be called upon them, and the name of my fathers, Abraam and Isaac; and let them be increased to a great multitude on 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 And Joseph having seen that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim—it seemed grievous to him; and Joseph took hold of the hand of his father, to remove it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasse.
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 And Joseph said to his father, Not so, father; for this is the firstborn; lay your right-hand upon 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 And he would not, but said, I know it, son, I know it; he also shall be a people, and he shall be exalted, but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed 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 And he blessed them in that day, saying, In you shall Israel be blessed, saying, God make you as Ephraim and Manasse; and he set Ephraim before Manasse.
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 And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die; and God shall be with you, and restore you 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 I give to you Sicima, a select portion above your brethren, which I took out of the hand of 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。」

< Genesis 48 >