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 ta nangeke noupuna ovana vaJosef
1 Komesho yoinima ei vo ova shiivifila Josef tava ti: “Tala, xo ota vele.” Opo nee ye okwa kufa ovana vaye vavali ovamati, Manasse naEfraim pamwe naye. 2 Ndele vo ova lombwela Jakob, tava ti: “Tala, omumwoye Josef ote uya kwoove.” Opo nee Jakob okwe liongela eenghono daye ndele ta kala omutumba kombete yaye. 3 Ndele Jakob okwa lombwela Josef ta ti: “Kalunga Omunaenghono adishe okwe liholola kwaame muLus, moshilongo shaKaanan, nokwa nangeka nge noupuna, 4 ndele okwa lombwela nge ta ti: ‘Tala, Ame ohandi ke ku dalifa oludalo ndele handi ku hapupalifa ndele to ningi eemhunga doiwana, noludalo loye ohandi li pe edu eli, li ninge lavo fiyo alushe.’ 5 Ovamwoye vavali, ve ku dalelwa muEgipiti, fimbo inandi uya kwoove kuEgipiti, vo ovange: Efraim naManasse. Vo otava ka kala vange ngaashi Ruben naSimeon. 6 Ovamwoye we va dala va shikula venya, ovoye. Oitukulilwa yaavenya otai lukilwa ovamwaxe. 7 Ndele ame eshi nda dja muPaddan, Rakel okwa fila moshilongo shaKaanan mondjila, eshi pa li ashike okanano kanini okufika kuEfrat.” Oko nde mu paka pomunghulo wondjila yokuya kuEfrat nokutya, Betlehem.
8 Israel eshi a mona ovana ovamati vaJosef okwa tya: “Ovo oolyelye?” 9 Ndele Josef okwa nyamukula xe ndele ta ti: “Ovo ovana vange Kalunga e va pela nge apa.” Ndele Jakob ta ti: “Va eta oku kwaame ndi shiive oku va nangeka noupuna.” 10 Ndelenee omesho aIsrael a li a twika oshiwiwili molwoukulupe, ke wete ko. Ndele Josef eshi e va eta kuye, ye okwe va fipa komilungu nokwe va papatela momaoko. 11 Ndele Israel okwa lombwela Josef: “Ame kanda li nde shi diladila vali okumona oshipala shoye, ndele tala, Kalunga okwa monifa nge oludalo loye yo.” 12 Opo nee Josef okwe va kufa ko komatundji aye, nokwa twa eengolo koshipala shaye nokwe linyongamena poshi. 13 Opo nee Josef okwe va kwata ava aveshe vavali; Efraim okwe mu kwatifa olulyo laye la taalela olumosho laIsrael. Manasse okwe mu kwatifa olumosho laye la taalela olulyo laIsrael, nosho hano ngaha okwe va twala kuye. 14 Ndele Israel okwa twala ko olulyo laye ndele te li tenheke komutwe waEfraim, nande ye okwa li ondenge yamukwao, nolumosho laye kwe li tenheka komutwe waManasse. Hano a shiyakanifa omake aye, osheshi Manasse okwa li omukulunhu kumukwao. 15 Ndele ye okwa nangeka noupuna Josef, ndele ta ti:
“Kalunga, Oove Kalunga ootatekulu Abraham naIsak,
va endaenda koshipala shoye,
Kalunga, ou wa li Omufita wange,
okudja kokudalwa kwange fiyo onena eli,
16 Omweengeli, ou a xupifa nge moudjuu keshe,
oye na nangeke noupuna ovana ava ovamati,
nedina lange nolootatekulu Abraham naIsak
nali kale li na omwenyo muvo,
vo ove na okuhapupala
vahapu vahapu kombada yedu!”
17 Josef eshi a mona xe a tenheka eke laye lokolulyo komutwe waEfraim, kasha li she mu wapalela, onghee okwa kwata eke laxe e li lundulule, li dje ko komutwe waEfraim, ye e li tenhekulule komutwe waManasse. 18 Josef okwa lombwela xe: “Ahowe, tate, osheshi ou oshiveli, olulyo loye li tenheka komutwe waye.” 19 Xe okwa anya ndele ta ti: “Ondi shi shii, mumwange, ondi shi shii! Nomuye otamu di oshiwana, naye yo ota ka ninga munene a fimana. Ndelenee ondenge yaye otai mu dulu, noludalo laye tali ka ninga oiwana.” 20 Ndele ye okwe va nangeka noupuna mefiku tuu olo ndele ta ti: “Ovaisraeli nava tumbule edina loye, ngeenge tava nangeke noupuna ndele tava popi tava ti: ‘Kalunga ne ku fefife Efraim naManasse.’ ” Nosho ngaha a tula Efraim komesho yaManasse. 21 Ndele Israel okwa lombwela Josef ta ti: “Ame ondi li pokufya, ndelenee Kalunga ota kala pamwe nanye, ndele te mu shunifa koshilongo shooxokulu. 22 Ndele ame ohandi ku pe oshikandjo shi dule shovamwaxo, osho nda kwata mOvaamori keenghono deongamukonda nouta.”
