Genesis 48 – NIVUK & CCL

New International Version – UK

Genesis 48:1-22

Manasseh and Ephraim

1Some time later Joseph was told, ‘Your father is ill.’ So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2When Jacob was told, ‘Your son Joseph has come to you,’ Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

3Jacob said to Joseph, ‘God Almighty48:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 4and said to me, “I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.”

5‘Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7As I was returning from Paddan,48:7 That is, North-west Mesopotamia to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath’ (that is, Bethlehem).

8When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, ‘Who are these?’

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

Then Israel said, ‘Bring them to me so that I may bless them.’

10Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

11Israel said to Joseph, ‘I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.’

12Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right towards Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left towards Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

15Then he blessed Joseph and said,

‘May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,

the God who has been my shepherd

all my life to this day,

16the Angel who has delivered me from all harm

– may he bless these boys.

May they be called by my name

and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,

and may they increase greatly

on the earth.’

17When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to him, ‘No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’

19But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’ 20He blessed them that day and said,

‘In your48:20 The Hebrew is singular. name will Israel pronounce this blessing:

“May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” ’

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘I am about to die, but God will be with you48:21 The Hebrew is plural. and take you48:21 The Hebrew is plural. back to the land of your48:21 The Hebrew is plural. fathers. 22And to you I give one more ridge of land48:22 The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem. than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.’

Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero

Genesis 48:1-22

Manase ndi Efereimu

1Patapita kanthawi Yosefe anawuzidwa kuti, “Abambo ako akudwala.” Choncho anatenga ana ake awiri aja Manase ndi Efereimu ndi kupita nawo kwa Yakobo. 2Yakobo atawuzidwa kuti, “Mwana wanu Yosefe wabwera,” Israeli anadzilimbitsa nadzuka kukhala tsonga pa bedi pake.

3Yakobo anati kwa Yosefe, “Mulungu Wamphamvuzonse anandionekera ku Luzi mʼdziko la Kanaani, ndipo anandidalitsa, 4nati kwa ine, ‘Ndidzakupatsa ana ambiri ndipo zidzukulu zako zidzasanduka mitundu yambiri ya anthu. Ndidzapereka dziko ili kwa zidzukulu zako zobwera pambuyo pako kuti likhale lawo mpaka muyaya.’

5“Tsopano ana ako aamuna awiri amene anabadwa ine ndisanabwere kuno adzakhala ana anga. Efereimu ndi Manase adzakhala anga monga mmene alili Rubeni ndi Simeoni. 6Koma amene ati adzabadwe pambuyo pa iwowa adzakhala ako ndipo cholowa chawo chidzadziwika ndi mayina a abale awo. 7Pamene ndimabwerera kuchoka ku Parani, mwachisoni Rakele, amayi ako anamwalira mʼdziko la Kanaani, tikanali mʼnjira, mtunda wokafika ku Efurata ukanalipo. Ndipo ndinawayika kumeneko mʼmphepete mwa msewu wa ku Efurata” (amene ndi Betelehemu).

8Israeli ataona ana a Yosefe anafunsa kuti, “Anyamatawa ndi a yani?”

9Yosefe anati kwa abambo ake, “Awa ndi ana anga amene Mulungu wandipatsa kuno.”

Ndipo Israeli anati, “Bwera nawo kuno kuti ndiwadalitse.”

10Koma maso a Israeli anali ofowoka chifukwa cha kukalamba moti sankaona nʼkomwe. Tsono Yosefe anabwera nawo ana ake aja pafupi ndi abambo ake ndipo abambo ake anawapsompsona nawakumbatira.

11Israeli anati kwa Yosefe, “Ine sindinali kuyembekeza kuti nʼkudzaonanso nkhope yako, ndipo tsopano Mulungu wandilola kuti ndionenso ngakhale ana ako.”

12Tsono Yosefe anawachotsa ana aja pa mawondo a Israeli ndipo anamuweramira nkhope pansi. 13Yosefe anawagwira ana onse awiri padzanja, Efereimu ku dzanja lake lamanja kulunjika dzanja lamanzere la Israeli ndipo Manase ku dzanja lamanzere kulunjikitsa dzanja lamanja la Israeli, ndipo anawayandikiza kwa Yakobo. 14Koma Israeli anapinganitsa mikono motero kuti anayika dzanja lake lamanja pamutu pa Efereimu ngakhale kuti iyeyo anali wamngʼono ndi dzanja lake lakumanzere analisanjika pamutu pa Manase ngakhale kuti iyeyu ndiye anali mwana woyamba.

15Kenaka anadalitsa Yosefe nati,

“Mulungu amene makolo anga

Abrahamu ndi Isake anamutumikira,

Mulungu amene wakhala ali mʼbusa wanga

moyo wanga wonse kufikira lero,

16mngelo amene wandipulumutsa ine ku zovuta zonse,

ameneyo adalitse anyamata awa.

Kudzera mwa iwowa

dzina langa ndi mayina a makolo anga, Abrahamu ndi Isake, adzamveka.

Iwowa adzakhala ndi ana ambiri nadzasanduka mtundu waukulu

pa dziko lapansi.”

17Yosefe ataona kuti abambo ake ayika dzanja lamanja pa Efereimu, sanakondwere. Choncho anagwira dzanja la abambo ake kuti alichotse pamutu pa Efereimu ndi kuliyika pamutu pa Manase, 18nati kwa abambo ake, “Ayi, abambo anga, uyu ndiye woyamba kubadwa, ikani dzanja lanu lamanja pamutu pake.”

19Koma abambo ake anakana nati, “Ndikudziwa, mwana wanga, ndikudziwa. Adzukulu a iyeyunso adzakhala mtundu waukulu. Komabe mʼbale wake wamngʼonoyu adzakhala wamkulu kuposa iye, ndipo zidzukulu zake zidzakhala mitundu yayikulu ya anthu.” 20Tsono iye anawadalitsa tsiku limenelo nati,

“Aisraeli adzagwiritsa ntchito dzina lanu podalitsa nadzati:

Mulungu akudalitseni monga Efereimu ndi Manase.”

Choncho anayika Efereimu patsogolo pa Manase.

21Kenaka Israeli anati kwa Yosefe, “Ine ndatsala pangʼono kufa, koma Mulungu adzakhala ndipo adzakutenganinso kubwerera nanu ku dziko la makolo anu. 22Ndiponso iwe wekha ndikupatsa moposera abale ako, malo woonjezera, Sekemu, malo amene ndinalanda kwa Aamori ndi lupanga ndi uta wanga.”