Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
1 Some time later Joseph was told that his father was ill. So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to see Jacob. 2 When Jacob was told that his son Joseph had come to see him, he gathered his strength and sat up in bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, “Almighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will give you many children, so that your descendants will become many nations; I will give this land to your descendants as their possession forever.’”
5 Jacob continued, “Joseph, your two sons, who were born to you in Egypt before I came here, belong to me; Ephraim and Manasseh are just as much my sons as Reuben and Simeon. 6 If you have any more sons, they will not be considered mine; the inheritance they get will come through Ephraim and Manasseh. 7 I am doing this because of your mother Rachel. To my great sorrow she died in the land of Canaan, not far from Ephrath, as I was returning from Mesopotamia. I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.” (Ephrath is now known as Bethlehem.)
8 When Jacob saw Joseph's sons, he asked, “Who are these boys?”
9 Joseph answered, “These are my sons, whom God has given me here in Egypt.”
Jacob said, “Bring them to me so that I may bless them.” 10 Jacob's eyesight was failing because of his age, and he could not see very well. Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged them and kissed them. 11 Jacob said to Joseph, “I never expected to see you again, and now God has even let me see your children.” 12 Then Joseph took them from Jacob's lap and bowed down before him with his face to the ground.
13 Joseph put Ephraim at Jacob's left and Manasseh at his right. 14 But Jacob crossed his hands, and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, even though he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, who was the older. 15 Then he blessed Joseph:
“May God, whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac served, bless these boys!
May God, who has led me to this very day, bless them!
16 May the angel, who has rescued me from all harm, bless them!
May my name and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac live on through these boys!
May they have many children, many descendants!”
17 Joseph was upset when he saw that his father had put his right hand on Ephraim's head; so he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to the head of Manasseh. 18 He said to his father, “Not that way, father. This is the older boy; put your right hand on his head.”
19 His father refused, saying, “I know, son, I know. Manasseh's descendants will also become a great people. But his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become great nations.”
20 So he blessed them that day, saying, “The Israelites will use your names when they pronounce blessings. They will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way Jacob put Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “As you see, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to the land of your ancestors. 22 It is to you and not to your brothers that I am giving Shechem, that fertile region which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
Jakob ma sere ooEfraim na Manasse ondaya
1 Kombunda yovitjitwa avihe mbi Josef wa raerwa nai: “Tara, iho wa vera.” Neye otja twaerera ovazandu ve aveyevari ooManasse na Efraim. 2 Nu Jakob wa raerwa nai: “Omuzandu woye Josef weya okukutara.” Israel arire tje penduka na haama mombete ye, 3 na tja ku Josef: “Ndjambi Omunamasaaehe we rimunikisa ku ami mOlus mehi ra Kanaan, ne ndji sere ondaya. 4 Neye wa tja ku ami: ‘Tara, me ku pe orukwato orungi ne ru takavarisa ne ru tjiti omihoko omingi. Nehi ndi me ri yandja kozondekurona zoye ri rire ouini wazo nga aruhe.’
5 “Imba ovazandu voye aveyevari mbu wa kwatera mOengipte, ngunda ambi hiye ya kove mba, owo ovandje; ooEfraim na Manasse mave rire ovandje wina tjimuna ooRuben na Simeon. 6 Nungwari ovanatje mbu mo kwata kombunda yawo mave rire ovoye, nu mave rumata eṱa puna omarumbi wawo. 7 Ami tji mba kotoka okuza kOmesopotamie Rahel otja kokera mondjira mehi ra Kanaan, ngunda atu ri ohumburuko na Efrat, tji tji ri Betlehem.”
8 Israel tja muna ovazandu va Josef wa pura nai: “Ovazandu mba ovauṋe?”
9 Josef wa zira nai ku ihe: “Owo ovazandu vandje Ndjambi mbe ndji pa muno mOengipte.”
Israel arire tja tja: “Arikana, ve eta ku ami, mbi ve sere ondaya.” 10 Nungwari omeho wa Israel ya ngundipara tjinga a kurupa; nu kaa sora okumuna. Josef wa tumbuza imba ovazandu ku ihe, neye we ve pukata ne ve hupite. 11 Nu Israel wa tja nai ku Josef: “Ami hi na pu mbe ripura kutja mee kamuna omurungu woye rukwao. Nambano, tara, Ndjambi we ndji munisa ovanatje voye wina.” 12 Josef arire tje ve isa po pomatumbo wa Israel, na u kozongoro momurungu wa ihe.
13 Nu Josef we ve kambura pomake, Efraim kokunene kwe kutja a kare kokumuho kwa Israel, na Manasse kokumuho kwe kutja a kare kokunene kwa Israel, ne ve yeta ku ihe. 14 Nungwari Israel wa pingasanisa omaoko we, na twa eke re enene kotjiuru tja Efraim ngwa ri omuangu, neke re rokumuho kotjiuru tja Manasse ngwa ri erumbi. 15 Neye wa sera Josef ondaya na tja:
“Ndjambi, momurungu we mu mwa ryangere ootate Abraham na Isak,
Ndjambi ngwa ri omurise wandje oure womuinyo wandje nga ku ndinondi,
16 omuengeri ngwe ndji isa mo mouzeu auhe nga sere ondaya kovazandu mba.
Ena randje nomana wootate Abraham na Isak ngaye tamunwe mu wo.
Ngave kare novanatje ovengi nu ve takavare kombanda yehi.”
17 Josef wa nyengwa tja muna kutja ihe wa twako eke re enene ku Efraim; narire tja kambura eke ra ihe okuisa ko kotjiuru tja Efraim okutwa ro kotjiuru tja Manasse, 18 na tja ku ihe: “Kanao, tate. Orondu eye everi; eke roye enene twa kotjiuru tje.”
19 Nungwari ihe wa panḓa a tja: “Ami me tjiwa, muatje wandje, ami me tjiwa. Ozondekurona za Manasse wina maze rire otjiwaṋa otjinene. Nungwari omuangu we ma rire omunene pu ye, nozondekurona ze maze rire oviwaṋa ovingi.”
20 Neye otje ve sera ondaya eyuva ndo a tja: “Mena reṋu Ovaisrael otji mave serasana ondaya nomambo nga: ‘Ndjambi nge mu tjite otja ooEfraim na Manasse!’ ” Komuhingo mbwi Jakob otja ingoneka Efraim okukapita Manasse.
21 Nu Israel arire tja tja ku Josef: “Tara, ami mbi ri pokukoka, nungwari Ndjambi ma kara puna eṋe, neye me mu yarura kehi rooiho mukururume. 22 Nami me ku pe orukondwa rwehi ndu ri komeho yaitwi twomarumbi woye. Ehi ndi etoororwa mba huura kOvaamori nengaruvyo nouta wandje.”
