Genesis 48 – NIrV & AKCB

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.”

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

1 Mose 48:1-22

Yakob Hyira Efraim Ne Manase

1Mmere bi akyi no, wɔka kyerɛɛ Yosef se, “Wʼagya yare.” Enti Yosef faa ne mmabarima baanu, Efraim ne Manase kaa ne ho kɔsraa no. 2Bere a wɔbɔɔ Yakob amanneɛ se, “Wo ba Yosef aba wo nkyɛn rebɛsra wo” no, Yakob miaa nʼani sɔre tenaa ne mpa so.

3Yakob ka kyerɛɛ Yosef se, “Otumfo Nyankopɔn yii ne ho adi kyerɛɛ me wɔ Lus a ɛwɔ Kanaan asase so. Ɛhɔ na ohyiraa me, 4ka kyerɛɛ me se, ‘Mɛma woawo, ama wʼase afɛe. Mɛma wʼasefo ayɛ ɔman kɛse. Mede saa asase yi bɛma wʼasefo afebɔɔ sɛ wɔn agyapade.’

5“Ɛno nti, mede wo mma baanu a wɔwoo wɔn maa wo ansa na mereba wo nkyɛn wɔ Misraim asase so ha no bɛka me mma no ho. Efraim ne Manase bɛka me mma ho, sɛnea Ruben ne Simeon yɛ me mma no. 6Mma foforo biara a wobɛwo wɔn wɔ Efraim ne Manase akyi no na wɔbɛyɛ wo de. Wɔde wɔn bɛka wɔn nuanom no ho wɔ asase a wɔde bɛma wɔn sɛ wɔn agyapade no so. 7Bere a mifi Paddan-Aram reba no, ababaa Rahel wuu wɔ ɔkwan mu ma ɛyɛɛ me yaw. Na aka akwansin kakraa bi na yɛadu Efrat. Ɛno nti, misiee no wɔ Eufrate, a wɔfrɛ no Betlehem no kwankyɛn baabi.”

8Bere a Israel huu Yosef mmabarima no, obisae se, “Na eyinom yɛ hefo?”

9Yosef buaa nʼagya se, “Wɔyɛ mmabarima a Onyankopɔn de wɔn adom me wɔ ha.”

Na Israel kae se, “Fa wɔn bra mʼanim ha na minhyira wɔn.”

10Saa bere no, esiane onyin nti, na Israel ani so ayɛ wusiwusi a onhu ade papa. Ne saa nti, Yosef de ne mma no kɔɔ ne nkyɛn pɛɛ ma ɔyɛɛ wɔn atuu, fifew wɔn ano.

11Israel ka kyerɛɛ Yosef se, “Manna mannwene sɛ mehu wʼanim bio da, nanso hwɛ nea Onyame ayɛ. Wama me ho kwan ama mahu wo mma nso.”

12Yosef maa wɔn so fii Israel kotodwe anim, na ɔno ara nso buu nkotodwe de nʼanim butuw fam. 13Ɔsɔre no, ɔde ne nsa nifa soo Efraim mu, de no gyinaa Yakob benkum so, na ɔde ne nsa benkum soo Manase mu, de no gyinaa Yakob nifa so bɛn no pɛɛ. 14Israel teɛɛ ne nsa nifa de too Efraim a ɔyɛ akumaa no apampam, na ɔde ne nsa benkum no too Manase nso apampam. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ na Manase yɛ abakan de, nanso ɔde ne nsa benkum na ɛtoo nʼapampam.

15Ohyiraa Yosef se,

“Onyankopɔn a mʼagyanom

Abraham ne Isak nantew nʼanim,

ne me Nyankopɔn a ɔhwɛɛ me sɛ oguanhwɛfo

de besi nnɛ no,

16ɔsoro bɔfo a ogyee me fii ɔhaw nyinaa mu no,

onhyira saa mmarimaa yi.

Wɔmfa me din ne mʼagyanom,

Abraham ne Isak din ntoto wɔn,

na wɔn ase mfɛe

wɔ asase so.”

17Bere a Yosef huu sɛ nʼagya de ne nsa nifa ato Efraim apampam no, anyɛ no dɛ. Enti oyii nʼagya nsa nifa no fii Efraim apampam, kɔtoo Manase apampam. 18Yosef ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya se, “Dabi, mʼagya, oyi ne mʼabakan, nti fa wo nsa nifa to nʼapampam.”

19Nanso nʼagya ampene so kae se, “Me ba, minim saa. Ɔno nso bɛyɛ ɔman, na wayɛ ɔkɛse. Nanso ne nua kumaa no bɛyɛ ɔkɛse asen no, na nʼasefo bɛyɛ aman bebree.” 20Enti da no, Yakob hyiraa mmarimaa no se,

“Israelfo nyinaa nam mo din so behyirahyira wɔn ho wɔn ho.

Wɔbɛka se, ‘Onyankopɔn behyirahyira mo, ama moakɔ so frɔmfrɔm te sɛ Efraim ne Manase.’ ”

Saa ɔkwan yi so na Yakob fa maa Efraim bedii Manase anim.

21Na Israel ka kyerɛɛ Yosef se, “Merebewu, nanso Onyankopɔn bɛhwɛ mo so, na wasan de mo akɔ Kanaan, mo agyanom asase so bio. 22Wo a mprempren woabɛyɛ wo nuanom nyinaa so panyin no, mede asase a menam me afoa ne mʼagyan so gye fii Amorifo nkyɛn no rema wo.”