Ebandeli 48
1 Sima na makambo wana, bayaki koyebisa Jozefi: « Tala, tata na yo azali kobela. » Jozefi azwaki bana na ye mibale ya mibali: Manase mpe Efrayimi.
Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 Bapesaki sango epai ya Jakobi ete mwana na ye ya mobali Jozefi azali koya epai na ye. Isalaele asalaki makasi mpe avandaki na mbeto.
When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
3 Jakobi alobaki na Jozefi: — Nzambe-Na-Nguya-Nyonso abimelaki ngai na Luze, na mokili ya Kanana; mpe kuna, apambolaki ngai.
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
4 Alobaki na ngai: « Nakopesa yo mabota mpe nakokomisa yo ebele; nakokomisa yo lisanga ya bikolo ebele mpe nakopesa mokili oyo lokola libula ya seko na seko epai ya bakitani na yo sima na yo. »
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 Mpe sik’oyo, bana na yo ya mibali oyo babotamaki na Ejipito liboso ete ngai naya awa, bakomi lokola bana na ngai. Efrayimi mpe Manase bakomi bana na ngai lokola Ribeni mpe Simeoni.
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 Bana oyo okobota sima na bango bakozala ya yo; bakozwa eteni na bango ya libula na kombo ya bayaya na bango.
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 Pamba te, tango nawutaki na Padani, Rasheli akufaki na nzela, na maboko na ngai, wana nazalaki kokende na mokili ya Kanana, pene ya Efrata; nakundaki ye kuna pembeni ya Efrata oyo babengaka Beteleemi.
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 Tango Isalaele amonaki bana mibali ya Jozefi, atunaki: — Ba-oyo bazali banani?
When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
9 Jozefi azongiselaki tata na ye: — Bazali bana mibali oyo Nzambe apesi ngai awa. Isalaele alobaki: — Pusa bango mpo ete napambola bango.
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 Miso ya Isalaele elembaki mpo na kimobange mpe azalaki komona lisusu malamu te. Yango wana, Jozefi apusaki bana na ye ya mibali pembeni ya tata na ye, Isalaele apesaki bango beze mpe ayambaki bango.
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 Isalaele alobaki na Jozefi: — Nazalaki na elikya te ete nakomona lisusu elongi na yo; kasi sik’oyo Nzambe apesi ngai nzela ya komona kutu bana na yo.
“I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
12 Jozefi alongolaki bana na ye na mabolongo ya Isalaele mpe agumbamaki elongi na ye kino na se.
Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
13 Jozefi azwaki bango mibale: Efrayimi na loboko na ye ya mobali, loboko ya mwasi ya Isalaele; mpe Manase, na loboko na ye ya mwasi, loboko ya mobali ya tata na ye. Apusaki bango pembeni ya Isalaele.
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 Isalaele asembolaki loboko na ye ya mobali mpe atiaki yango likolo ya moto ya Efrayimi oyo azalaki leki; mpe loboko na ye ya mwasi likolo ya moto ya Manase. Na bongo, abongolaki maboko na ye mpo ete Manase azalaki mwana ya liboso.
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 Isalaele apambolaki Jozefi mpe alobaki: Tika ete Nzambe oyo, liboso na Ye, bakoko na ngai, Abrayami mpe Izaki, batambolaki, Nzambe oyo azali Mobateli na ngai wuta mokolo ya mbotama na ngai kino na mokolo ya lelo,
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 anjelu oyo akangolaki ngai na mabe nyonso, apambola bana oyo ya mibali! Tika ete babengama na kombo na ngai, mpe na bakombo ya bakoko na ngai, Abrayami mpe Izaki! Tika ete bakoma ebele kati na mokili!
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 Tango Jozefi amonaki ete tata na ye atiaki loboko na ye ya mobali na moto ya Efrayimi, asepelaki te. Azwaki loboko ya tata na ye, alongolaki yango na moto ya Efrayimi mpo na kotia yango na moto ya 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 Jozefi alobaki na tata na ye: — Boye te, tata na ngai! Oyo azali mwana ya liboso; tia loboko na yo ya mobali likolo ya moto na ye.
“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 Kasi tata na ye aboyaki mpe alobaki: — Nayebi, mwana na ngai! Nayebi! Ye mpe akokoma ekolo, akokoma monene. Nzokande, leki na ye akozala monene koleka ye mpe bakitani na ye bakokoma lisanga ya bikolo.
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 Apambolaki bango wana mpe alobaki: Bato ya Isalaele bakotangaka bakombo na bino mpo na kopambola: « Tika ete Nzambe akomisa bino lokola Efrayimi mpe Manase! » Boye Isalaele atiaki Efrayimi liboso ya 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 Bongo Isalaele alobaki na Jozefi: — Etikali moke nakufa. Nzambe akozala na bino mpe akozongisa bino na mokili ya bakoko na bino.
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 Mpo na ngai, napesi yo koleka oyo napesaki epai na bandeko na yo: eteni ya mabele oyo nabotolaki, na mopanga mpe na tolotolo na ngai, epai ya bato ya Amori.
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.”
