UGenesisi 48
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto kwathiwa kuJosefa: Khangela, uyihlo uyagula. Wasethatha amadodana akhe amabili laye, uManase loEfrayimi.
Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 Kwasekubikwa kuJakobe ukuthi: Khangela, indodana yakho uJosefa iyeza kuwe. UIsrayeli waseziqinisa wahlala embhedeni.
When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
3 UJakobe wasesithi kuJosefa: UNkulunkulu uSomandla wabonakala kimi eLuzi elizweni leKhanani, wangibusisa,
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
4 wathi kimi: Khangela, ngizakwenza uzale ngikwandise ngikwenze ube yizizwe ezinengi, nginike inzalo yakho emva kwakho lelilizwe, libe yimfuyo elaphakade.
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 Khathesi-ke, amadodana akho amabili, owawazalelwa elizweni leGibhithe ngingakafiki kuwe eGibhithe, angawami; uEfrayimi loManase njengoRubeni loSimeyoni bazakuba ngabami.
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 Kodwa izizukulwana zakho ozazizala emva kwabo zizakuba ngezakho; ngebizo labafowabo zizabizwa elifeni lazo.
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 Mina-ke, ekusukeni kwami ePadani, uRasheli wafa elami elizweni leKhanani, endleleni, kuselomangwana ukuya eEfrathi, ngasengimngcwaba khona endleleni yeEfrathi, eyiBhethelehema.
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 UIsrayeli wasebona amadodana kaJosefa wathi: Ngobani laba?
When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
9 UJosefa wasesithi kuyise: Bangamadodana ami, uNkulunkulu anginika wona lapha. Wasesithi: Ake uwalethe kimi ngiwabusise.
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 Njalo amehlo kaIsrayeli ayefiphele ngenxa yobudala, engelakubona. Wasewasondeza kuye, wawanga, wawagona.
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 UIsrayeli wasesithi kuJosefa: Ngangingacabanganga ukuthi ngingabona ubuso bakho, kodwa khangela, uNkulunkulu ungibonise lenzalo yakho.
“I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
12 UJosefa wasewakhupha emadolweni akhe, wakhothama ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini.
Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
13 UJosefa wasebathatha bobabili, uEfrayimi ngesandla sakhe sokunene ngakwesokhohlo sikaIsrayeli, loManase ngesandla sakhe sokhohlo ngakwesokunene sikaIsrayeli, wabasondeza kuye.
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 Kodwa uIsrayeli welula isandla sakhe sokunene, wasibeka ekhanda likaEfrayimi, lanxa engomncinyane, lesandla sakhe sokhohlo ekhanda likaManase, eqondisa izandla zakhe esazi, ngoba uManase wayelizibulo.
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 Wasembusisa uJosefa wathi: UNkulunkulu abahamba phambi kwakhe obaba oAbrahama loIsaka, uNkulunkulu owangondla kusukela ebukhoneni bami kuze kube lamuhla,
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 ingilosi engihlenge kokubi konke, ibusise abafana; njalo ibizo lami libizwe kubo, lebizo labobaba oAbrahama loIsaka; bande babebanengi phakathi komhlaba.
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 Kwathi uJosefa esebonile ukuthi uyise ubeke isandla sakhe sokunene ekhanda likaEfrayimi, kwaba kubi emehlweni akhe; wasibamba isandla sikayise ukuze asisuse ekhanda likaEfrayimi asise ekhanda likaManase.
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 UJosefa wasesithi kuyise: Hayi njalo, baba, ngoba lo ulizibulo; beka isandla sakho sokunene ekhanda lakhe.
“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 Kodwa uyise wala wathi: Ngiyazi, ndodana yami, ngiyazi; laye uzakuba yisizwe, laye uzakuba mkhulu; kanti lanxa kunjalo umfowabo omncinyane uzakuba mkhulu kulaye, lenzalo yakhe izakuba yikugcwala kwezizwe.
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 Wasebabusisa ngalolosuku esithi: Ngawe uIsrayeli uzabusisa, esithi: UNkulunkulu kakumise njengoEfrayimi lanjengoManase. Wasebeka uEfrayimi phambi kukaManase.
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 UIsrayeli wasesithi kuJosefa: Khangela, ngiyafa; kodwa uNkulunkulu uzakuba lani, njalo uzalibuyisela elizweni laboyihlo.
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 Futhi mina ngikunikile isabelo esisodwa okwedlula abafowenu, engasithatha esandleni samaAmori ngenkemba yami langedandili lami.
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.”
