< UGenesisi 48 >

1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto kwathiwa kuJosefa: Khangela, uyihlo uyagula. Wasethatha amadodana akhe amabili laye, uManase loEfrayimi.
It came about after these things, that one said to Joseph, “Look, your father is sick.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 Kwasekubikwa kuJakobe ukuthi: Khangela, indodana yakho uJosefa iyeza kuwe. UIsrayeli waseziqinisa wahlala embhedeni.
When Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph has arrived to see you,” Israel gathered 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. He blessed me
4 wathi kimi: Khangela, ngizakwenza uzale ngikwandise ngikwenze ube yizizwe ezinengi, nginike inzalo yakho emva kwakho lelilizwe, libe yimfuyo elaphakade.
and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you. I will make of you an assembly of nations. I will give this land to your descendants as an everlasting possession.'
5 Khathesi-ke, amadodana akho amabili, owawazalelwa elizweni leGibhithe ngingakafiki kuwe eGibhithe, angawami; uEfrayimi loManase njengoRubeni loSimeyoni bazakuba ngabami.
Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, they are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
6 Kodwa izizukulwana zakho ozazizala emva kwabo zizakuba ngezakho; ngebizo labafowabo zizabizwa elifeni lazo.
The children you have after them will be yours; they will be listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance.
7 Mina-ke, ekusukeni kwami ePadani, uRasheli wafa elami elizweni leKhanani, endleleni, kuselomangwana ukuya eEfrathi, ngasengimngcwaba khona endleleni yeEfrathi, eyiBhethelehema.
But as for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, while there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
8 UIsrayeli wasebona amadodana kaJosefa wathi: Ngobani laba?
When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, “Whose are these?”
9 UJosefa wasesithi kuyise: Bangamadodana ami, uNkulunkulu anginika wona lapha. Wasesithi: Ake uwalethe kimi ngiwabusise.
Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” Israel said, “Bring them to me, that I may bless them.”
10 Njalo amehlo kaIsrayeli ayefiphele ngenxa yobudala, engelakubona. Wasewasondeza kuye, wawanga, wawagona.
Now Israel's eyes were failing because of his age, so he could not see. So Joseph brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
11 UIsrayeli wasesithi kuJosefa: Ngangingacabanganga ukuthi ngingabona ubuso bakho, kodwa khangela, uNkulunkulu ungibonise lenzalo yakho.
Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, but God has even allowed me to see your children.”
12 UJosefa wasewakhupha emadolweni akhe, wakhothama ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini.
Joseph brought them out from between Israel's knees, and then he bowed with his face to the earth.
13 UJosefa wasebathatha bobabili, uEfrayimi ngesandla sakhe sokunene ngakwesokhohlo sikaIsrayeli, loManase ngesandla sakhe sokhohlo ngakwesokunene sikaIsrayeli, wabasondeza kuye.
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 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.
Israel reached out with his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head. He crossed his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 Wasembusisa uJosefa wathi: UNkulunkulu abahamba phambi kwakhe obaba oAbrahama loIsaka, uNkulunkulu owangondla kusukela ebukhoneni bami kuze kube lamuhla,
Israel blessed Joseph, saying, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has cared for me 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 protected me from all harm, may he bless these boys. May my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. May they grow into a multitude on 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 his father place his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
18 UJosefa wasesithi kuyise: Hayi njalo, baba, ngoba lo ulizibulo; beka isandla sakho sokunene ekhanda lakhe.
Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand upon 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.
His father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. Yet his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
20 Wasebabusisa ngalolosuku esithi: Ngawe uIsrayeli uzabusisa, esithi: UNkulunkulu kakumise njengoEfrayimi lanjengoManase. Wasebeka uEfrayimi phambi kukaManase.
Israel blessed them that day with these words, “The people of Israel will pronounce blessings by your names saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh'.” In this way, Israel put Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 UIsrayeli wasesithi kuJosefa: Khangela, ngiyafa; kodwa uNkulunkulu uzakuba lani, njalo uzalibuyisela elizweni laboyihlo.
Israel said to Joseph, “See, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.
22 Futhi mina ngikunikile isabelo esisodwa okwedlula abafowenu, engasithatha esandleni samaAmori ngenkemba yami langedandili lami.
To you, as one who is above your brothers, I give to you the mountain slope that I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

< UGenesisi 48 >