UGenesisi 48
1 Emva kwesikhatshana uJosefa wabikelwa ukuthi, “Uyihlo uyagula.” Ngakho wathatha amadodana akhe womabili, uManase lo-Efrayimi wahamba lawo.
And it came about after these things that someone said to Joseph, "Look, your father is sick." And taking with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, he went to Jacob.
2 UJakhobe esetsheliwe kwathiwa, “Indodana yakho uJosefa isifikile kuwe,” u-Israyeli wazibamba ngamandla wavuka embhedeni.
And someone reported to Jacob, and said, "Look, your son Joseph has come to you." Then Israel strengthened himself and sat up in the bed.
3 UJakhobe wathi kuJosefa, “UNkulunkulu uSomandla wabonakala kimi eLuzi elizweni laseKhenani, khonapho wangibusisa.
And Jacob said to Joseph, "El Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,
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, 'Look, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.'
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 were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.
6 Labobantwana abazelwe ngemva kwabo bazakuba ngabakho; kulesosigodi esizakuba yilifa labo bazabhaliswa ngaphansi kwamabizo abanewabo.
And your offspring born to you after them will be yours. But in their inheritance they are to be called after the names of their brothers.
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).
But as for me, when I came from Paddan Aram, Rachel died, in my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."
8 U-Israyeli wathi ngokubona amadodana kaJosefa wabuza wathi, “Ngobani laba?”
Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and 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 here." And he said, "Please bring them to me, so that I can bless them."
10 Ngalesosikhathi amehlo ka-Israyeli ayesefiphala ngenxa yokuluphala, engasabonisisi. Ngakho uJosefa wasondeza amadodana akhe kuye, uyise wawanga wawagona.
Now the eyes of Israel were failing because of his age, so that he couldn't see. Then he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
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 did not expect to see your face, but look, God has let me see your offspring as well."
12 UJosefa wasebasusa emadolweni ka-Israyeli wakhothamela phansi ngobuso.
Then Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground.
13 UJosefa wasebathatha bobabili, u-Efrayimi kwesokunene sakhe eqondane lesokhohlo sika-Israyeli, kwathi uManase waba ngakwesokhohlo waqondana lesokunene sika-Israyeli, wabasondeza kuye.
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near to 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 stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
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,
Then he blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to 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 redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys. And may my name be carried on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. And may they grow into a multitude upon 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.
When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he grasped his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
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 one is the firstborn. 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 refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude 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 blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, 'God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.'" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 U-Israyeli wasesithi kuJosefa, “Sengizakufa, kodwa uNkulunkulu uzakuba lani, alibuyisele elizweni labokhokho benu.
Then Israel said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and God will bring you back from this land to the land of your fathers.
22 Wena, njengomuntu olawula abanewenu, ngikunika umqolo welizwe engawemuka ama-Amori ngenkemba yami lomtshoko wami.”
Moreover, I give to you one portion more than your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow."
