Genesis 48
1 And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph, Lo! thy father, is sick. So he took his two sons with him, 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 And one told Jacob, and said—Lo! thy son Joseph, coming in unto thee. So Israel strengthened himself, and sat up on the couch.
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 Then said Jacob unto Joseph, GOD Almighty, appeared unto me in Luz in the land of Canaan, —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 unto me—Behold me! about to make thee fruitful, so will I multiply thee, and give thee to become a multitude of peoples, —so will I give this land to thy seed after thee, as an age-abiding 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, therefore thy two sons who were born to thee in the land of Egypt, before I came in unto thee in Egypt, are mine! Ephraim and Manasseh, like Reuben and Simeon, 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 But thine offspring which thou hast begotten after them, thine own shall they be, —after the name of their brethren, shall they be called in their inheritance.
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 But, as for me, when I came in from Padan, Rachel died by me, in the land of Canaan, in the way, while yet there was a stretch of country to come into Ephrath, —so I buried her there in the way to Ephrath, the same, 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 Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, —and said—Who are these?
以色列看見若瑟的兒子，就問說：「他們是誰﹖」
9 And Joseph said unto his father, My sons, they are, whom God hath given me, in this place. And he said—Bring them, I pray thee, unto 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, the eyes of Israel, had become dim from old age, —he could not see, —so he drew them near unto him, and 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 unto Joseph, To see thine own face, had I not thought, —and lo! God hath caused me to see even thy seed!
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 beside his knees, and bowed himself down with his face towards the earth.
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 them both, —Ephraim in his right hand on Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand, on Israel’s right hand, and drew them near unto 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 Then Israel put forth his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, though, he, was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh, —crossing his hands, although, Manasseh, was the first-born.
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 Thus blessed he Joseph, and said, —God himself—before whom walked my fathers. Abraham and Isaac, God himself—who hath been my shepherd, since I came into being 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 Messenger—who hath been my redeemer from all evil—bless the lads! And may there be called upon them, my name, and the name of my fathers. Abraham and Isaac; And may they swarm into a multitude, in the midst of 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 saw that his father had laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim and it was displeasing in his eyes, —so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from off the head of Ephraim, on to the head of Manasseh.
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 unto his father—Not so, my father! for, this, is the firstborn, lay thy 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 his father refused, and said—I know—my son, I know! He also, shall become a people, and he also, shall become great, —but nevertheless, his younger brother, shall become greater than he, and his seed, shall become a filling up of the 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 on that day, saying—In thee, let Israel bless himself saying, God set thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh! So he set 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 And Israel said unto Joseph: Lo! I, am about to die, —but it shall come to pass that, God will be with you, and will take you back into 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 But, I, have given to thee one mountain-track above thy brethren, —which I took out of the hand of the Amorite, with my sword and with my 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。」
