Jenesis 48
1 Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, a gwara Josef sị, “Lee nna gị na-arịa ọrịa.” Josef biliri duru ụmụ ya ndị ikom abụọ bụ Manase na Ifrem gawa ileta ya.
Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 Mgbe a gwara Jekọb okwu sị ya, “Nwa gị nwoke Josef abịala ileta gị.” Izrel chịkọtara ume ya, jisie ike, nọdụ ala nʼelu akwa ya.
When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
3 Mgbe ahụ, Jekọb sịrị Josef, “Chineke, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile gosiri m onwe ya na Luz, nʼala Kenan, ma gọziekwa m.
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
4 Ọ sịrị m, ‘Lee, aga m eme ka ị mịa mkpụrụ, baakwa ụba nʼọnụọgụgụ. Aga m eme ka ị ghọọ ọgbakọ ọtụtụ mba. Aga m enye gị ala a ka ọ bụrụ ihe nketa ebighị ebi maka agbụrụ gị ndị ga-esote gị.’
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.’
5 “Ugbu a, ana m eme ụmụ gị ndị ikom abụọ ndị a, ndị a mụtaara gị nʼala Ijipt, ụmụ nke m. Ha abụọ, Ifrem na Manase, ga-abụ ụmụ m, dịka Ruben na Simiọn si bụrụ ụmụ m.
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.
6 Ma ụmụ ọzọ a ga-amụtara gị ga-abụ nke gị. Ọ bụ aha ụmụnne ha ndị a ka a ga-eji mara ha nʼala nketa nke ha.
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.
7 Ana m eme nke a nʼihi na mgbe m si Padan Aram pụta, nne unu Rechel, nwụrụ nʼala Kenan mgbe anyị ka nọ nʼụzọ ije anyị nʼebe dịtụ anya site na Efrat. Nʼakụkụ ụzọ e si aga Efrat, ya bụ Betlehem, ka m likwara ya.”
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).
8 Mgbe Izrel hụrụ ụmụ ndị ikom abụọ Josef kpọ bịa, ọ jụrụ Josef ajụjụ sị, “Ndị a, bụ ndị ole?”
When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
9 Josef zara nna ya sị, “Ha bụ ụmụ ndị ikom ndị Chineke nyere m nʼebe a.” Ya mere, Jekọb gwara ya sị, “Kpọtara m ha, ka m gọzie ha.”
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.”
10 Nʼoge a, Izrel adịghị ahụzikwa ụzọ nke ọma nʼihi ime agadi ya. Ya mere, Josef duuru ụmụ ya ndị ikom ndị ahụ bịa nso ebe nna ya nọ. Mgbe ahụ, Jekọb suturu ha ọnụ, makụọ ha.
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.
11 Izrel sịrị Josef, “O nweghị mgbe m lere anya na m ga-ahụ ihu gị ọzọ. Ma Chineke emeela ka m hụkwa ụmụ gị.”
“I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
12 Josef sitere nʼikpere Jekọb kupu ụmụ ya, bịa hulata isi ala. O kpuru ihu ya nʼala mgbe o mere nke a.
Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
13 Josef kpọọrọ ha abụọ, Ifrem nʼaka nri ya nke bụ aka ekpe Izrel, na Manase nʼaka ekpe ya nke bụ aka nri Izrel, kpọta ha bịa nna ya nso.
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.
14 Ma Izrel setịrị aka nri bikwasị ya nʼisi Ifrem, nwa nke nta. Ma aka ekpe ya ka o setịpụrụ bikwasị nʼisi Manase bụ ọkpara.
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.
15 Mgbe ahụ, ọ gọziri Josef sị ya. “Ka Chineke, onye nna m ha Ebraham na Aịzik jere ije nʼihu ya Chineke onye bụrịị Onye zụrụ m dịka atụrụ ogologo ndụ m niile ruo taa,
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,
16 Mmụọ ozi ahụ napụtara m site nʼihe egwu niile, ya gọzie ụmụ ndị ikom ndị a. Ka ha bụrụ ndị a kpọkwasịrị aha m na aha nna m ha Ebraham na Aịzik, ka ha mụbaa hie nne nʼelu ụwa.”
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.”
17 O wutere Josef mgbe ọ hụrụ na nna ya bikwasịrị aka nri ya nʼisi Ifrem. O jidere aka nna ya iwepụ ya nʼisi Ifrem, ka ọ tụkwasị ya nʼisi Manase.
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.
18 Mgbe ahụ, Josef sịrị nna ya, “I bikwasịjọrọ aka gị. Onye a bụ ọkpara, bikwasị aka nri gị nʼisi ya.”
“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 Ma nna ya jụrụ, sị ya, “Amaara m ihe m na-eme nwa m, Manase ga-aghọ oke obodo, ma nwanne ya nke nta ga-akarị ya ịdị ukwuu, nʼihi na ụmụ ụmụ ya ga-aghọ ọtụtụ mba dị iche iche.”
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.”
20 Ọ gọziri ha nʼụbọchị ahụ sị, “Nʼaha gị ka Izrel ga-ekwupụta ngọzị a, ‘Ka Chineke mee gị dịka Ifrem na Manase.’” Ya mere o buru ụzọ kpọọ Ifrem tupu Manase.
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.
21 Mgbe ahụ, Izrel gwara Josef okwu sị ya, “Lee, mụ onwe m na-aga ịnwụ. Ma Chineke ga-anọnyere unu, kpọghachikwa unu azụ nʼala nna unu ha.
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.
22 Mụ onwe m na-enye gị otu akụkụ ugwu karịa nke ụmụnne gị, bụ ala ugwu ahụ m sitere na mma agha m na ụta m napụta ndị Amọrait ka ọ bụrụ nke gị.”
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.”
