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 cometh to pass, after these things, that [one] saith to Joseph, 'Lo, thy father is sick;' and he taketh his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 Yakobo alipoambiwa, “Mwanao Yosefu amekujia kukuona,” Israeli akakusanya nguvu zake, akaketi kitandani.
And [one] declareth to Jacob, and saith, 'Lo, thy son Joseph is coming unto thee;' and Israel doth strengthen himself, and sit upon the bed.
3 Yakobo akamwambia Yosefu, “Mungu Mwenyezi alinitokea huko Luzu katika nchi ya Kanaani, huko akanibariki,
And Jacob saith unto Joseph, 'God Almighty hath appeared unto me, in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blesseth 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 saith unto me, Lo, I am making thee fruitful, and have multiplied thee, and given thee for an assembly of peoples, and given this land to thy seed after thee, a possession age-during.
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 are born to thee in the land of Egypt, before my coming unto thee to Egypt, mine they [are]; Ephraim and Manasseh, as Reuben and Simeon they are mine;
6 Lakini watoto utakaowazaa baada yao watakuwa wako. Katika nchi watakayoirithi, watatambuliwa kwa jina la ndugu zao.
and thy family which thou hast begotten after them are thine; by the name of their brethren they are called 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 I — in my coming in from Padan-Aram Rachel hath died by me in the land of Canaan, in the way, while yet a kibrath of land to enter Ephrata, and I bury her there in the way of Ephrata, which [is] Bethlehem.'
8 Wakati Israeli alipowaona wana wa Yosefu, akauliza, “Hawa ni nani?”
And Israel seeth the sons of Joseph, and saith, '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 saith unto his father, 'They [are] my sons, whom God hath given to me in this [place];' and he saith, 'Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I 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.
And the eyes of Israel have been heavy from age, he is unable to see; and he bringeth them nigh unto him, and he kisseth them, and cleaveth to them;
11 Israeli akamwambia Yosefu, “Kamwe sikutazamia kuuona uso wako tena, lakini sasa Mungu ameniruhusu kuwaona watoto wako pia.”
and Israel saith unto Joseph, 'To see thy face I had not thought, and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.'
12 Ndipo Yosefu akawaondoa wanawe magotini mwa Israeli naye akasujudu hadi nchi.
And Joseph bringeth them out from between his knees, and boweth himself 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 taketh them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left towards Israel's right, and bringeth [them] nigh to 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 putteth out his right hand, and placeth [it] upon the head of Ephraim, who [is] the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh; he hath guided his hands wisely, for Manasseh [is] 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 blesseth Joseph, and saith, 'God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked habitually: God who is feeding me from my being 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 Messenger who is redeeming me from all evil doth bless the youths, and my name is called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and they increase into a multitude in the midst of the land.'
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 Joseph seeth that his father setteth his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it is wrong in his eyes, and he supporteth the hand of his father to turn it aside from off the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh;
18 Yosefu akamwambia, “Hapana, baba yangu, huyu ndiye mzaliwa wa kwanza; uweke mkono wako wa kuume juu ya kichwa chake.”
and Joseph saith unto his father, 'Not so, my father, for this [is] the first-born; set thy right hand on 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 refuseth, and saith, 'I have known, my son, I have known; he also becometh a people, and he also is great, and yet, his young brother is greater than he, and his seed is the fulness of the 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 blesseth them in that day, saying, 'By thee doth Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh;' and he setteth 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 saith unto Joseph, 'Lo, I am dying, and God hath been with you, and hath brought 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.”
and I — I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.'
