Genesis 48
1 And it came to pass after these things, that some one said to Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick; and he took his two sons with him, Menasseh and Ephraim.
Baada ya muda Yosefu akaambiwa kwamba, “Baba yako ni mgonjwa.” Kwa hiyo akawachukua wanawe wawili Manase na Efraimu, pamoja naye.
2 And some one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph is coming unto thee; and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
Yakobo alipoambiwa, “Mwanao Yosefu amekujia kukuona,” Israeli akakusanya nguvu zake, akaketi kitandani.
3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God, the Almighty, appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
Yakobo akamwambia Yosefu, “Mungu Mwenyezi alinitokea huko Luzu katika nchi ya Kanaani, huko akanibariki,
4 And he said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
naye akaniambia, ‘Nitakufanya ustawi na kuongezeka hesabu yako, nitakufanya kuwa jamii ya mataifa, nami nitakupa nchi hii uimiliki milele wewe na wazao wako baada yako.’
5 And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Menasseh shall be unto me as Reuben and Simeon.
“Sasa basi, wanao wawili waliozaliwa kwako huku Misri kabla sijaja hapa kwako watahesabiwa kuwa ni wangu; Efraimu na Manase watakuwa wangu, kama vile Reubeni na Simeoni walivyo wangu.
6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, after the name of their brothers shall they be called in their inheritance.
Lakini watoto utakaowazaa baada yao watakuwa wako. Katika nchi watakayoirithi, watatambuliwa kwa jina la ndugu zao.
7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan on the way, when yet there was some distance to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there on the way of Ephrath, the same is Beth-lechem.
Nilipokuwa ninarudi kutoka Padani, katika huzuni yangu Raheli alifariki katika nchi ya Kanaani tulipokuwa tungali tukisafiri, tukiwa karibu kufika Efrathi. Kwa hiyo nilimzika huko, kando ya njia iendayo Efrathi” (yaani Bethlehemu).
8 And Israel perceived the sons of Joseph, and said, Who are these?
Wakati Israeli alipowaona wana wa Yosefu, akauliza, “Hawa ni nani?”
9 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.
Yosefu akamjibu baba yake, “Hawa ni wana ambao Mungu amenipa nikiwa huku.” Ndipo Israeli akasema, “Walete kwangu ili niwabariki.”
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim through age, he could not see; and he brought them near unto him, and he kissed them, and embraced them.
Basi macho ya Israeli yalikuwa hayaoni vizuri kwa sababu ya uzee, naye aliona kwa shida. Kwa hiyo Yosefu akawaleta wanawe karibu na baba yake, Israeli akawabusu na akawakumbatia.
11 And Israel said unto Joseph, To see thy face I had not hoped; and lo, God hath shown me also thy seed.
Israeli akamwambia Yosefu, “Kamwe sikutazamia kuuona uso wako tena, lakini sasa Mungu ameniruhusu kuwaona watoto wako pia.”
12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
Ndipo Yosefu akawaondoa wanawe magotini mwa Israeli naye akasujudu hadi nchi.
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left, and Menasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them near unto him.
Yosefu akachukua wale wana wawili, Efraimu kwenye mkono wake wa kuume akimwelekeza kwenye mkono wa kushoto wa Israeli, na Manase katika mkono wake wa kushoto akimwelekeza kwenye mkono wa kuume wa Israeli, akawaleta karibu na babu yao.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Menasseh's head; he laid his hands wittingly; although Menasseh was the first-born.
Lakini Israeli akaupeleka mkono wake wa kuume, akauweka juu ya kichwa cha Efraimu, ingawa alikuwa ndiye mdogo, na mkono wake wa kushoto akaukatisha, akauweka juu ya kichwa cha Manase, ingawa Manase alikuwa ndiye mzaliwa wa kwanza.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who fed me from my first being unto this day,
Ndipo akambariki Yosefu akisema, “Mungu ambaye baba zangu Abrahamu na Isaki walimtii, Mungu ambaye amekuwa mchungaji wa maisha yangu yote mpaka leo hii,
16 The angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be called on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
Malaika ambaye aliniokoa kutoka madhara yote, yeye na awabariki vijana hawa. Na waitwe kwa jina langu na kwa majina ya baba zangu Abrahamu na Isaki, wao na waongezeke kwa wingi katika dunia.”
17 And when Joseph saw that his father would lay his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he took hold of his father's hand, to remove it from the head of Ephraim unto the head of Menasseh.
Yosefu alipoona baba yake akiweka mkono wa kuume juu ya kichwa cha Efraimu, hakupendezwa, kwa hiyo akauchukua mkono wa baba yake kutoka kichwa cha Efraimu na kuuweka juu ya kichwa cha Manase.
18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the first-born, put thy right hand upon his head.
Yosefu akamwambia, “Hapana, baba yangu, huyu ndiye mzaliwa wa kwanza; uweke mkono wako wa kuume juu ya kichwa chake.”
19 And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know, 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.
Lakini baba yake akakataa, akasema, “Ninajua, mwanangu, ninajua. Yeye pia atakuwa taifa, naye pia atakuwa mkuu. Hata hivyo, ndugu yake mdogo atakuwa mkuu kuliko yeye, nao wazao wake watakuwa kundi la mataifa.”
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, With thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and Menasseh: and so he set Ephraim before Menasseh.
Akawabarikia siku ile na kusema, “Kwa jina lenu Israeli watatamka baraka hii: ‘Mungu na awafanye kama Efraimu na Manase.’” Kwa hiyo akamtanguliza Efraimu mbele ya Manase.
21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; but God will be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers
Ndipo Israeli akamwambia Yosefu, “Mimi ninakaribia kufa, lakini Mungu atakuwa pamoja nanyi, na atawarudisha katika nchi ya baba zenu.
22 Moreover I have given unto thee one portion above thy brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Emorite with my sword and with my bow.
Kwako wewe, kama aliye juu ya ndugu zako, ninakupa sehemu moja zaidi ya ndugu zako, lile eneo nililoteka kwa Waamori kwa upanga wangu na upinde wangu.”
