Génesis 48

1 Y sucedió después de estas cosas, que fue dicho a José: He aquí tu padre está enfermo. Y él tomó consigo 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 Y se hizo saber a Jacob, diciendo: He aquí tu hijo José viene a ti. Entonces se esforzó Israel, y se sentó sobre 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 y dijo a José: El Dios Omnipotente me apareció en Luz en la tierra de Canaán, y me bendijo,

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

4 y me dijo: He aquí, yo te hago crecer, y te multiplicaré, y te pondré por estirpe de pueblos; y daré esta tierra a tu simiente después de ti por heredad perpetua.

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 Y ahora tus dos hijos Efraín y Manasés, que te nacieron en la tierra de Egipto, antes que viniese a ti a la tierra de Egipto, míos son; como Rubén y Simeón, serán 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 y los que después de ellos has engendrado, serán tuyos; por el nombre de sus hermanos serán llamados en sus heredades.

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 Porque cuando yo venía de Padan-aram, se me murió Raquel en la tierra de Canaán, en el camino, como media legua de tierra viniendo a Efrata; y la sepulté allí en el camino de Efrata, que es 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 Y vio Israel los hijos de José, y dijo: ¿Quiénes son éstos?

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

9 Y respondió José a su padre: Son mis hijos, que Dios me ha dado aquí. Y él dijo: Allégalos ahora a mí, y los bendeciré.

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 Y los ojos de Israel estaban ya tan agravados de la vejez, que no podía ver. Y les hizo llegar a él, y él los besó y 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 Y dijo Israel a José: No pensaba yo ver tu rostro, y he aquí Dios me ha hecho ver también tu simiente.

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 Entonces José los sacó de entre sus rodillas, y se inclinó a tierra.

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

13 Y los tomó José a ambos, Efraín a su diestra, a la siniestra de Israel; y a Manasés a su siniestra, a la diestra de Israel; y les hizo llegar a él.

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 Entonces Israel extendió su diestra, y la puso sobre la cabeza de Efraín, que era el menor, y su siniestra sobre la cabeza de Manasés, haciendo entender a sus manos, aunque Manasés era 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 Y bendijo a José, y dijo: El Dios en cuya presencia anduvieron mis padres Abraham e Isaac, el Dios que me mantiene desde que yo soy hasta este día,

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 Angel que me liberta de todo mal, bendiga a estos jóvenes; y mi nombre sea llamado en ellos, y el nombre de mis padres Abraham e Isaac; y se multipliquen en gran manera en medio de 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 Entonces viendo José que su padre ponía la mano derecha sobre la cabeza de Efraín, le pesó en sus ojos; y tomó la mano de su padre, por quitarla de sobre la cabeza de Efraín a la cabeza 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 Y dijo José a su padre: No así, padre mío, porque éste es el primogénito; pon tu diestra sobre su cabeza.

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 Mas su padre no quiso, y dijo: Lo sé, hijo mío, lo sé; también él vendrá a ser un pueblo, y será también acrecentado; pero su hermano menor será más grande que él, y su simiente será plenitud de gentiles.

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 Y los bendijo aquel día, diciendo: En ti bendecirá Israel, diciendo: Póngate Dios como a Efraín y como a Manasés. Y puso a Efraín delante de 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 Y dijo Israel a José: He aquí, yo muero, mas Dios será con vosotros, y os hará volver a la tierra de vuestros 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 Y yo te he dado a ti una parte sobre tus hermanos, la cual tomé yo de mano del amorreo con mi espada y con 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.”