Genesis 48 – NIRV & NEN

New International Reader’s Version

Genesis 48:1-22

Ephraim and Manasseh

1Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” So Israel became stronger and sat up in bed.

3Jacob said to Joseph, “The Mighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan. He blessed me there. 4He said to me, ‘I am going to give you children. I will make your family very large. I will make you a community of nations. And I will give this land to your children after you. It will belong to them forever.’

5“Now then, two sons were born to you in Egypt. It happened before I came to you here. They will be counted as my own sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will belong to me, in the same way that Reuben and Simeon belong to me. 6Any children born to you after them will belong to you. Any territory they receive will come from the land that will be given to Ephraim and Manasseh. 7As I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died. It made me very sad. She died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way. We weren’t very far away from Ephrath. So I buried her body there beside the road to Ephrath.” Ephrath was also called Bethlehem.

8Israel saw Joseph’s sons. He asked, “Who are they?”

9“They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me. I want to give them my blessing.”

10Israel’s eyes were weak because he was old. He couldn’t see very well. So Joseph brought his sons close to him. His father kissed them and hugged them.

11Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought I’d see your face again. But now God has let me see your children too.”

12Then Joseph lifted his sons off Israel’s knees. Joseph bowed down with his face to the ground. 13He placed Ephraim on his right, toward Israel’s left hand. He placed Manasseh on his left, toward Israel’s right hand. Then he brought them close to Israel. 14But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head. He did it even though Ephraim was the younger son. He crossed his arms and put his left hand on Manasseh’s head. He did it even though Manasseh was the older son.

15Then Israel gave Joseph his blessing. He said,

“May God bless these boys.

He is the God of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac.

They walked faithfully with him.

He is the God who has been my shepherd

all my life right up to this day.

16He is the Angel who has saved me from all harm.

May he bless these boys.

May they be called by my name.

May they also be called by the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac.

And may the number of them greatly increase

on the earth.”

17Joseph saw his father putting his right hand on Ephraim’s head. And Joseph didn’t like it. So he took hold of his father’s hand to move it over to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to him, “No, my father. Here’s my older son. Put your right hand on his head.”

19But his father wouldn’t do it. He said, “I know, my son. I know. He too will become a nation. He too will become great. But his younger brother will be greater than he is. His children after him will become a group of nations.” 20On that day, Jacob gave them his blessing. He said,

“The people of Israel will bless others in your name.

They will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ ”

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, “I’m about to die. But God will be with all of you. He’ll take you back to the land of your fathers. 22But to you, Joseph, I am giving more land than your brothers. I’m giving you the land I took from the Amorites. I took it with my sword and bow.”

Kiswahili Contemporary Version (Neno: Bibilia Takatifu)

Mwanzo 48:1-22

Manase Na Efraimu

148:1 Mwa 41:52; Ebr 11:2Baada ya muda Yosefu akaambiwa kwamba, “Baba yako ni mgonjwa.” Kwa hiyo akawachukua wanawe wawili Manase na Efraimu, pamoja naye. 248:2 Mwa 48:8-9Yakobo alipoambiwa, “Mwanao Yosefu amekujia kukuona,” Israeli akakusanya nguvu zake, akaketi kitandani.

348:3 Mwa 17:1; 28:13Yakobo akamwambia Yosefu, “Mungu Mwenyezi48:3 Mungu Mwenyezi hapa ni jina la Kiebrania, El-Shaddai (yaani Mungu Mwenye utoshelevu wote). alinitokea huko Luzu katika nchi ya Kanaani, huko akanibariki, 448:4 Mwa 12:2; 15:7naye akaniambia, ‘Nitakufanya ustawi na kuongezeka hesabu yako, nitakufanya kuwa jamii ya mataifa, nami nitakupa nchi hii uimiliki milele wewe na wazao wako baada yako.’

548:5 Mwa 41:50-52; 29:32“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. 6Lakini watoto utakaowazaa baada yao watakuwa wako. Katika nchi watakayoirithi, watatambuliwa kwa jina la ndugu zao. 748:7 Mwa 35:19; Rut 1:2Nilipokuwa 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).

848:8 Mwa 48:2Wakati Israeli alipowaona wana wa Yosefu, akauliza, “Hawa ni nani?”

948:9 Mwa 33:5; 24:60Yosefu akamjibu baba yake, “Hawa ni wana ambao Mungu amenipa nikiwa huku.”

Ndipo Israeli akasema, “Walete kwangu ili niwabariki.”

1048:10 Mwa 27:1; 29:13Basi 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.

1148:11 Mwa 44:28; 50:23Israeli akamwambia Yosefu, “Kamwe sikutazamia kuuona uso wako tena, lakini sasa Mungu ameniruhusu kuwaona watoto wako pia.”

12Ndipo Yosefu akawaondoa wanawe magotini mwa Israeli naye akasujudu hadi nchi. 1348:13 Za 16:8; Mt 25:33Yosefu 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. 14Lakini 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.

15Ndipo akambariki Yosefu akisema,

“Mungu ambaye baba zangu

Abrahamu na Isaki walimtii,

Mungu ambaye amekuwa mchungaji

wa maisha yangu yote mpaka leo hii,

1648:16 Yer 15:21; Ebr 11:21Malaika 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.”

1748:17 Mwa 48:14Yosefu 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. 1848:18 Mwa 48:14Yosefu akamwambia, “Hapana, baba yangu, huyu ndiye mzaliwa wa kwanza; uweke mkono wako wa kuume juu ya kichwa chake.”

1948:19 Mwa 25:23; 12:2Lakini 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.” 2048:20 Mwa 24:60Akawabarikia 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.

2148:21 Mwa 26:3; 28:13Ndipo Israeli akamwambia Yosefu, “Mimi ninakaribia kufa, lakini Mungu atakuwa pamoja nanyi, na atawarudisha katika nchi ya baba zenu. 2248:22 Yos 24:32; Yn 4:5Kwako 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.”