Génesis 48

1 Algún tiempo después de esto, le dijeron a José: “Tu padre está enfermo”. Así que José fue a verlo, llevándose a sus dos hijos Manasés y Efraín.

Some time later, someone told Joseph, “[Hey, ] your father is ill.” When Joseph heard that, he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to see his father.

2 Cuando le dijeron a Jacob: “Tu hijo José ha venido a verte”, reunió sus fuerzas y se sentó en la cama.

When someone told Jacob, “Look, your son Joseph has come to see you!” Jacob sat up on the bed, even though it was difficult for him to do that.

3 Jacob le dijo a José: “El Dios Todopoderoso se me apareció en Luz, en el país de Canaán, y me bendijo allí.

He said to Joseph, “When I was at Luz in Canaan, God Almighty appeared to me. He blessed me

4 Me dijo: ‘¡Escucha! Te haré próspero y haré que tu descendencia sea tan numerosa que te convertirás en el antepasado de muchas naciones, y daré esta tierra a tus descendientes para que la posean para siempre’.

and said to me, ‘I am going to enable you to become the father of many children. You will have many descendants, and they will become [the ancestors of] many people-groups. And I will give this land to your descendants to possess forever.’

5 “Cuento como míos a tus dos hijos Efraín y Manasés que nacieron aquí en Egipto antes de que yo llegara, así como Rubén y Simeón son míos.

“And now I will consider that your two sons, who were born to you here in Egypt before I came here, will (belong to me/be as though they are my sons). Ephraim and Manasseh will be [as though they were] my sons, and they will inherit my possessions, just like my sons Reuben and Simeon [and the others] will.

6 Cualquier otro hijo que tengas después de ellos será tuyo, y compartirás su herencia dentro de la tierra de sus hermanos mayores.

If you later become the father of any more children, they will not be considered to be my children, but as my grandchildren, and [in Canaan] they will receive as part of what they inherit some of the same land that is in the territory that their brothers [Ephraim and Manasseh] will inherit.

7 Hago esto porque trágicamente para mí, cuando regresaba de Padán Harán, Raquel murió en Canaán, a cierta distancia de Efrata. La enterré allí de camino a Efrata” (también conocida como Belén).

Many years ago, as I was returning from Paddan-Aram/Mesopotamia, your mother Rachel died in the Canaan region, while we were still traveling, not far from Ephrath [town]. So I buried her body there alongside the road to Ephrath [which is now called Bethlehem].”

8 Israel vio a los hijos de José y dijo: “¿Son estos son tus hijos, entonces?”

When Jacob saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these boys?”

9 “Sí, estos son los hijos que Dios me dio aquí”, le dijo José a su padre. “Tráelos aquí para que pueda bendecirlos”, dijo.

Joseph replied, “They are the sons that God has given to me here in Egypt.” Jacob said, “Bring them close to me so that I can bless them.”

10 La vista de Israel estaba fallando debido a su edad y no podía ver bien, así que José los acercó a su padre, y él los besó y los abrazó.

Jacob was almost blind because he was very old. He could not recognize the boys. So Joseph brought his sons close to his father, and Jacob kissed them and hugged them.

11 Entonces Israel le dijo a José: “Nunca pensé que volvería a ver tu cara, y ahora Dios me ha dejado ver a tus hijos”.

Jacob said to Joseph, “I did not expect to see you again, but look at this! God has allowed me to see not only you, but he has allowed me to see your children, too!”

12 José tomó a sus hijos de entre las rodillas de Israel, y se inclinó con el rostro hacia el suelo.

Joseph took the boys from alongside Jacob’s knees. Then he bowed down with his face to the ground.

13 Entonces José puso a Efraín a su derecha para que estuviera a la izquierda de Israel, y a Manasés a su izquierda para que estuviera a la derecha de Israel, y luego los trajo a Israel.

Then Joseph took both of the boys, putting Ephraim on his right side toward Jacob’s left hand, and putting Manasseh on his left side toward Jacob’s right hand, and brought them close to Jacob.

14 Pero cuando Israel extendió sus manos, las cruzó y colocó su mano derecha sobre Efraín, el hijo menor, y colocó la izquierda sobre Manasés, el primogénito.

But Jacob [did not do what Joseph wanted him to do. Instead], he reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, even though he was the younger son. He crossed his arms and put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the older son.

15 Bendijo a José, diciendo: “Que el Dios que mi abuelo Abraham y mi padre adoraron, el Dios que me ha cuidado como un pastor a lo largo de mi vida hasta ahora,

Then he (blessed/asked God to bless) Joseph and his sons, saying, “My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac conducted their lives as God desired, and to this very day God has led me and taken care of me as a shepherd leads and cares for his sheep [MET].

16 el Ángel que me ha salvado de todo tipo de problemas, bendiga a estos muchachos. Que mi nombre y los nombres de mi abuelo Abraham y de mi padre Isaac continúen a través de ellos, y que tengan muchos descendientes que se extiendan por toda la tierra”.

The angel whom he sent has kept me from being harmed in any way. I pray that God will bless these boys. I pray that people will never forget about me and about Abraham and Isaac because of what God does for these boys. I pray that they will have many descendants who will live all over the earth.”

17 José se sintió infeliz cuando vio que su padre había puesto su mano derecha sobre Efraín, así que tomó la mano de su padre para tratar de moverla de la cabeza de Efraín a la de Manasés.

When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head and not on Manasseh’s head, he was distressed/displeased. So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.

18 “Así no, padre, este es el primogénito; pon tu mano derecha sobre su cabeza”, le dijo José.

Joseph said to him, “My father, that is not right! The one on whom you put your left hand is my older son. Put your right hand on his head.”

19 Pero su padre se negó, diciendo: “Yo sé lo que hago. Manasés también se convertirá en un pueblo importante, pero su hermano menor será más grande que él, y sus descendientes se convertirán en una gran nación”.

But his father refused, saying, “I know that, my son, I know what I am doing. Manasseh’s descendants will also become a people-group, and they will become important. But his younger brother’s descendants will become greater than his will. His descendants will become several nations.”

20 Así que Israel los bendijo ese día y dijo: “En el futuro, el pueblo de Israel usará sus nombres para dar una bendición, diciendo: ‘Que Dios los bendiga como lo hizo con Efraín y Manasés’”. Al decir esto, puso a Efraín antes que a Manasés.

So he blessed them both on that day, saying, “The people in Israel will use your names when they bless people. They will say, ‘We pray that God will help you as he helped Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In that way, Jacob said that Ephraim would become more important than Manasseh.

21 Entonces Israel dijo a José: “Voy a morir pronto, pero Dios estará con ustedes y los devolverá a la tierra de sus padres.

Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I am about to die. But I know that God will help/protect you. And some day he will take your descendants back to the land of their ancestors.

22 También te doy algo además de lo que le doy a tus hermanos: un trozo de tierra en la ladera de la montaña de Siquem que le quité a los amorreos con mi espada y mi arco”.

And it is to you, not to your brothers, that I will give the fertile hill in the Shechem area. I captured that land from the Amor people-group, fighting them with my sword and my bow and arrows.”