創世記 48

1 是等の事の後汝の父病にかかるとヨセフに告る者ありければヨセフ二人の子マナセとエフライムをともなひて至る

Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2 人ヤコブに告て汝の子ヨセフなんぢの許にきたるといひければイスラエル強て床に坐す

When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.

3 しかしてヤコブ、ヨセフにいひけるは昔に全能の神カナンの地のルズにて我にあらはれて我を祝し

Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me

4 我にいひたまひけらく我なんぢをして多く子をえせしめ汝をふやし汝を衆多の民となさん我この地を汝の後の子孫にあたへて永久の所有となさしめんと

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 わがエジプトにきたりて汝に就まへにエジプトにて汝に生れたる二人の子エフライムとマナセ是等はわが子となるべしルベンとシメオンのごとく是等はわが子とならん

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 是等の後になんぢが得たる子は汝のものとすべし又その產業はその兄弟の名をもて稱らるべし

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 我事をいはんに我昔パダンより來れる時ラケル我にしたがひをりて途にてカナンの地に死り其處はエフラタまで尚途の隔あるところなりわれ彼處にて彼をエフラタの途にはうむれり(エフラタはすなはちベテレヘムなり)

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 斯てイスラエル、ヨセフの子等を見て是等は誰なるやといひければ

When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”

9 ヨセフ父にいふ是は神の此にて我にたまひし子等なりと父すなはちいふ請ふ彼らを我所につれきたれ我これを祝せんと

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 イスラエルの目は年壽のために眯て見るをえざりしがヨセフかれらをその許につれきたりければ之に接吻してこれを抱けり

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 しかしてイスラエル、ヨセフにいひけるは我なんぢの面を見るあらんとは思はざりしに視よ神なんぢの子をもわれにしめしたまふと

“I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”

12 ヨセフかれらをその膝の間よりいだし地に俯て拜せり

Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.

13 しかしてヨセフ、エフライムを右の手に執てヤコブに左の手にむかはしめマナセを左の手に執てヤコブの右の手にむかはしめ二人をみちびきてかれに就ければ

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 イスラエル右の手をのべて季子エフライムの頭に按き左の手をのべてマナセの頭におけりマナセは長子なれども故にかくその手をおけるなり

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 斯してヨセフを祝していふわが父アブラハム、イサクの事へし神わが生れてより今日まで我をやしなひたまひし神

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 我をして諸の災禍を贖はしめたまひし天使ねがはくは是童子等を祝たまへねがはくは是等の者わが名とわが父アブラハム、イサクの名をもて稱られんことをねがはくは是等地の中に繁殖がるにいたれ

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 ヨセフ父が右の手をエフライムの頭に按るを見てよろこばず父の手をあげて之をエフライムの頭よりマナセの頭にうつさんとす

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 ヨセフすなはち父にいひけるは然にあらず父よ是長子なれば右の手をその頭に按たまへ

“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

19 父こばみていひけるは我知るわが子よわれしる彼も一の民となり彼も大なる者とならん然れどもその弟は彼よりも大なる者となりてその子孫は多衆の國民となるべしと

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 此日彼等を祝していふイスラエル汝を指て人を祝し願くは神汝をしてエフライムのごとくマナセのごとくならしめたまへといふにいたらんとすなはちエフライムをマナセの先にたてたり

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 イスラエルまたヨセフにいひけるは視よわれは死んされど神なんぢらとともにいまして汝等を先祖等の國にみちびきかへりたまふべし

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 且われ一の分をなんぢの兄弟よりもおほく汝にあたふ是わが刀と弓を以てアモリ人の手より取たる者なり

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.”