Mwanzo 48
1 Baada ya muda Yosefu akaambiwa kwamba, “Baba yako ni mgonjwa.” Kwa hiyo akawachukua wanawe wawili Manase na Efraimu, pamoja naye.
And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph: 'Behold, thy father is sick.' And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 Yakobo alipoambiwa, “Mwanao Yosefu amekujia kukuona,” Israeli akakusanya nguvu zake, akaketi kitandani.
And one told Jacob, and said: 'Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee.' And Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
3 Yakobo akamwambia Yosefu, “Mungu Mwenyezi alinitokea huko Luzu katika nchi ya Kanaani, huko akanibariki,
And Jacob said unto Joseph: 'God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 naye akaniambia, ‘Nitakufanya ustawi na kuongezeka hesabu yako, nitakufanya kuwa jamii ya mataifa, nami nitakupa nchi hii uimiliki milele wewe na wazao wako baada yako.’
and said unto me: Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a company of peoples; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
5 “Sasa basi, wanao wawili waliozaliwa kwako huku Misri kabla sijaja hapa kwako watahesabiwa kuwa ni wangu; Efraimu na Manase watakuwa wangu, kama vile Reubeni na Simeoni walivyo wangu.
And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.
6 Lakini watoto utakaowazaa baada yao watakuwa wako. Katika nchi watakayoirithi, watatambuliwa kwa jina la ndugu zao.
And thy issue, that thou begettest after them, shall be thine; they shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
7 Nilipokuwa ninarudi kutoka Padani, katika huzuni yangu Raheli alifariki katika nchi ya Kanaani tulipokuwa tungali tukisafiri, tukiwa karibu kufika Efrathi. Kwa hiyo nilimzika huko, kando ya njia iendayo Efrathi” (yaani Bethlehemu).
And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some way to come unto Ephrath; and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath — the same is Beth-lehem.'
8 Wakati Israeli alipowaona wana wa Yosefu, akauliza, “Hawa ni nani?”
And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said: 'Who are these?'
9 Yosefu akamjibu baba yake, “Hawa ni wana ambao Mungu amenipa nikiwa huku.” Ndipo Israeli akasema, “Walete kwangu ili niwabariki.”
And Joseph said unto his father: 'They are my sons, whom God hath given me here.' And he said: 'Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.'
10 Basi macho ya Israeli yalikuwa hayaoni vizuri kwa sababu ya uzee, naye aliona kwa shida. Kwa hiyo Yosefu akawaleta wanawe karibu na baba yake, Israeli akawabusu na akawakumbatia.
Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11 Israeli akamwambia Yosefu, “Kamwe sikutazamia kuuona uso wako tena, lakini sasa Mungu ameniruhusu kuwaona watoto wako pia.”
And Israel said unto Joseph: 'I had not thought to see thy face; and, lo, God hath let me see thy seed also.'
12 Ndipo Yosefu akawaondoa wanawe magotini mwa Israeli naye akasujudu hadi nchi.
And Joseph brought them out from between his knees; and he fell down on his face to the earth.
13 Yosefu akachukua wale wana wawili, Efraimu kwenye mkono wake wa kuume akimwelekeza kwenye mkono wa kushoto wa Israeli, na Manase katika mkono wake wa kushoto akimwelekeza kwenye mkono wa kuume wa Israeli, akawaleta karibu na babu yao.
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 unto him.
14 Lakini Israeli akaupeleka mkono wake wa kuume, akauweka juu ya kichwa cha Efraimu, ingawa alikuwa ndiye mdogo, na mkono wake wa kushoto akaukatisha, akauweka juu ya kichwa cha Manase, ingawa Manase alikuwa ndiye mzaliwa wa kwanza.
And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born.
15 Ndipo akambariki Yosefu akisema, “Mungu ambaye baba zangu Abrahamu na Isaki walimtii, Mungu ambaye amekuwa mchungaji wa maisha yangu yote mpaka leo hii,
And he blessed Joseph, and said: 'The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath been my shepherd all my life long unto this day,
16 Malaika ambaye aliniokoa kutoka madhara yote, yeye na awabariki vijana hawa. Na waitwe kwa jina langu na kwa majina ya baba zangu Abrahamu na Isaki, wao na waongezeke kwa wingi katika dunia.”
the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'
17 Yosefu alipoona baba yake akiweka mkono wa kuume juu ya kichwa cha Efraimu, hakupendezwa, kwa hiyo akauchukua mkono wa baba yake kutoka kichwa cha Efraimu na kuuweka juu ya kichwa cha Manase.
And when Joseph saw that his father was laying his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.
18 Yosefu akamwambia, “Hapana, baba yangu, huyu ndiye mzaliwa wa kwanza; uweke mkono wako wa kuume juu ya kichwa chake.”
And Joseph said unto his father: 'Not so, my father, for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head.'
19 Lakini baba yake akakataa, akasema, “Ninajua, mwanangu, ninajua. Yeye pia atakuwa taifa, naye pia atakuwa mkuu. Hata hivyo, ndugu yake mdogo atakuwa mkuu kuliko yeye, nao wazao wake watakuwa kundi la mataifa.”
And his father refused, and said: 'I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.'
20 Akawabarikia siku ile na kusema, “Kwa jina lenu Israeli watatamka baraka hii: ‘Mungu na awafanye kama Efraimu na Manase.’” Kwa hiyo akamtanguliza Efraimu mbele ya Manase.
And he blessed them that day, saying: 'By thee shall Israel bless, saying: God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh.' And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Ndipo Israeli akamwambia Yosefu, “Mimi ninakaribia kufa, lakini Mungu atakuwa pamoja nanyi, na atawarudisha katika nchi ya baba zenu.
And Israel said unto Joseph: 'Behold, I die; but God will be with you, and bring you back unto the land of your fathers.
22 Kwako wewe, kama aliye juu ya ndugu zako, ninakupa sehemu moja zaidi ya ndugu zako, lile eneo nililoteka kwa Waamori kwa upanga wangu na upinde wangu.”
Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.'
