UGenesisi 48

1 Emva kwesikhatshana uJosefa wabikelwa ukuthi, “Uyihlo uyagula.” Ngakho wathatha amadodana akhe womabili, uManase lo-Efrayimi wahamba lawo.

Now after these things, word came to Joseph that his father was ill: and he took with him his sons Manasseh and Ephraim.

2 UJakhobe esetsheliwe kwathiwa, “Indodana yakho uJosefa isifikile kuwe,” u-Israyeli wazibamba ngamandla wavuka embhedeni.

And when they said to Jacob, Your son Joseph is coming to see you: then Israel, getting all his strength together, had himself lifted up in his bed.

3 UJakhobe wathi kuJosefa, “UNkulunkulu uSomandla wabonakala kimi eLuzi elizweni laseKhenani, khonapho wangibusisa.

And Jacob said to Joseph, God, the Ruler of all, came to me in a vision at Luz in the land of Canaan, and gave me his blessing,

4 Wathi kimi, ‘Ngizakwenza ube lenzalo enengi kakhulu. Ngizalenza libe yisizwe sabantu, njalo ngizakupha izizukulwane zakho lelilizwe libe yilifa lazo elingapheliyo ngemva kwakho.’

And said to me, Truly, I will make you fertile and give you increase and will make of you a great family of nations: and I will give this land to your seed after you to be their heritage for ever.

5 Zwana-ke, amadodana akho amabili owawazalela eGibhithe ngingakabuyi lapha kuwe azathathwa njengawami; u-Efrayimi loManase bazakuba ngabami, kanjengoba uRubheni loSimiyoni bengabami.

And now your two sons who came to birth in Egypt before I came to you here, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, in the same way as Reuben and Simeon are.

6 Labobantwana abazelwe ngemva kwabo bazakuba ngabakho; kulesosigodi esizakuba yilifa labo bazabhaliswa ngaphansi kwamabizo abanewabo.

And any other offspring which you have after them, will be yours, and will be named after their brothers in their heritage.

7 Ngathi ngibuya ngivela ePhadani, ngehlelwa lusizi ngafelwa nguRasheli elizweni laseKhenani silokhu sisendleleni, bucwadlana kwe-Efrathi. Ngamngcwaba khonapho eceleni kwendlela eya e-Efrathi” (kutsho eBhethilehema).

And as for me, when I came from Paddan, death overtook Rachel on the way, when we were still some distance from Ephrath; and I put her to rest there on the road to Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem.

8 U-Israyeli wathi ngokubona amadodana kaJosefa wabuza wathi, “Ngobani laba?”

Then Israel, looking at Joseph's sons, said, Who are these?

9 UJosefa wathi kuyise, “Ngamadodana uNkulunkulu anginike wona lapha.” U-Israyeli wasesithi, “Balethe kimi ukuze ngibabusise.”

And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this land. And he said, Let them come near me, and I will give them a blessing.

10 Ngalesosikhathi amehlo ka-Israyeli ayesefiphala ngenxa yokuluphala, engasabonisisi. Ngakho uJosefa wasondeza amadodana akhe kuye, uyise wawanga wawagona.

Now because Israel was old, his eyes were no longer clear, and he was not able to see. So he made them come near to him, and he gave them a kiss, folding them in his arms.

11 U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa, “Ngangingathembi ukuthi ngizaphinda ngibubone ubuso bakho njalo, ikanti manje uNkulunkulu usengivumele ukubona labantwabakho labo.”

And Israel said to Joseph, I had no hope of seeing your face again, but God in his mercy has let me see you and your children.

12 UJosefa wasebasusa emadolweni ka-Israyeli wakhothamela phansi ngobuso.

Then Joseph took them from between his knees, and went down on his face to the earth.

13 UJosefa wasebathatha bobabili, u-Efrayimi kwesokunene sakhe eqondane lesokhohlo sika-Israyeli, kwathi uManase waba ngakwesokhohlo waqondana lesokunene sika-Israyeli, wabasondeza kuye.

Then taking Ephraim with his right hand, Joseph put him at Israel's left side, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Israel's right side, placing them near him.

14 Kodwa u-Israyeli welula isandla sakhe sokunene wasibeka ekhanda lika-Efrayimi, loba nje yena wayengomncinyane, wasenqumisa izingalo zakhe zaphambana, wabeka isandla sakhe sokhohlo ekhanda likaManase, loba nje uManase wayelizibulo.

And Israel, stretching out his right hand, put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands on purpose, for Manasseh was the older.

15 Ngakho wasebusisa uJosefa wathi, “Sengathi uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bami, u-Abhrahama lo-Isaka, abahamba phambi kwakhe, uNkulunkulu obengumelusi wami ukuphila kwami konke kuze kube namuhla,

And he gave Joseph a blessing, saying, May the God to whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, gave worship, the God who has taken care of me all my life till this day,

16 iNgilosi engihlengileyo kuzozonke izingozi, sengathi angabusisa abafana laba. Sengathi bangabizwa ngebizo lami langamabizo abobabamkhulu u-Abhrahama lo-Isaka, njalo sengathi banganda kakhulu emhlabeni.”

The angel who has been my saviour from all evil, send his blessing on these children: and let my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, be given to them; and let them become a great nation in the earth.

17 Kwathi uJosefa ebona uyise ebeka isandla sakhe sokunene ekhanda lika-Efrayimi akwaze kwamthokozisa; ngakho wasibamba isandla sikayise wasisusa ekhanda lika-Efrayimi ukuthi asibeke kwelikaManase.

Now when Joseph saw that his father had put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it did not seem right to him; and lifting his father's hand he would have put it on the head of Manasseh.

18 UJosefa wathi kuye, “Hatshi, baba, lo nguye izibulo; beka isandla sakho sokunene kwelakhe ikhanda.”

And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father, for this is the older; put your right hand on his head.

19 Kodwa uyise wala, wathi, “Ngiyazi, ndodana yami, ngiyazi. Laye njalo uzakuba ngabantu abanengi, njalo laye uzakuba mkhulu. Loba kunjalo, umnawakhe uzakuba mkhulu kulaye lezizukulwane zakhe zizakuba ngamaxuku ezizwe.”

But his father would not, saying, I am doing it on purpose, my son; he will certainly become a nation and a great one; but his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a great family of nations.

20 Wababusisa ngalolusuku wathi, “Ngebizo lakho u-Israyeli uzakutsho lesisibusiso: ‘Sengathi uNkulunkulu angakwenza ube njengo-Efrayimi loManase.’” Ngakho wabeka u-Efrayimi phambi kukaManase.

So he gave them his blessing that day, saying, You will be the sign of blessing in Israel, for they will say, May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh; and he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 U-Israyeli wasesithi kuJosefa, “Sengizakufa, kodwa uNkulunkulu uzakuba lani, alibuyisele elizweni labokhokho benu.

Then Israel said to Joseph, Now my death is near; but God will be with you, guiding you back to the land of your fathers.

22 Wena, njengomuntu olawula abanewenu, ngikunika umqolo welizwe engawemuka ama-Amori ngenkemba yami lomtshoko wami.”

And I have given you more than your brothers, even Shechem as your heritage, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.