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.”
Yakoba Äṛu Eperaima ndi Manase be te
1 Tu kwoi vosi oko, apetate Yosepa ri ekye täpi ndaro te adravo ro. Ta'dota nda ru ŋgwàagoro ritu ndaro, Manase ndi Eperaima be te, ago oyite Yakoba ondrene. 2 Ondro apetate Yakoba ri ekye, ŋgwa ndaro Yosepa ikyite nda ondrene oko, nda si si te anda ndi ŋga rite kurusi kitapara dri. 3 Yakoba atate Yosepa ri ekye: “Lu Mbarapara loforute märi Luza ya 'bädri Kanana roya ago äṛu ma te. 4 Nda atate märi ekye: ‘Ma'bana mi 'da litine nyalakpa, tana zelevoi miro a'dona 'da tu'dei ro amba, ago mozona 'bädri ono 'da zelevoi miro ri mi vosi, a'done ŋga ànyaro äduako.’ 5 Yauono ŋgwàagoro se miro ritu se ätibe miri 'bädri Ezipeto roya ṛo teinye märi ikyi ako mire Ezipeto ya 'do, a'dona te ŋgwàagoro maro, Eperaima ndi Manase be. Ànya a'donayi te oso Rubena ndi Simeona be ka'dobe ŋgwàagoro maro 'do ronye. 6 Ago ŋgwai se nya oyebe ogone utine ànya vosi 'do a'dona te miro, drimbi se ànya ka oyebe usune ikyina ni Eperaima ndi Manase be resi. 7 Ma oyena nonye ta Raele endre miro rota. Tuse mabe eziikyi ni Mesopotamia yasi Raele drate liti ya 'bädri Kanana roya, se ozo tusu amba te märi, 'dooko vo drigba lozo ro osaza Eferata ya; ago mase anya te liti Eferata roya.” (Eferata anjioko ni Beteleme.)
8 Ondro Yakoba kondre ŋgwàagoro Yosepa rote oko, nda ejitate ekye: “Ŋgàga kwoi a'diyi owo ya?” 9 Yosepa zatadrite ekye: “Kwoi ni ŋgwàagoro maro, se Lu kozobe märi Ezipeto ya noŋwa ono owo.” Yakoba ekye: “Nyezi ànya mare, tana mäṛu ànya robe.” 10 Mi Yakoba rote fuyufuyuro ni ode ri, ta'dota nda ni kote vo ondrene kadoro. Yosepa ezi ŋgwàagoro ndaro te ti Yakoba re; ago nda omvo ànya te ago njunju ànya te. 11 Yakoba atate Yosepa ri ekye: “Sedri ma te cu tausu ako mi ondrene; caoko mindre, Lu 'ba ma kpate ŋgàga miro ondrene.” 12 'Dooko Yosepa ru ànya teni miṛi ndaro drisi, ndi nda edi andivo ndaro te militi si gyini dri.
13 Ago Yosepa ru ànya te riti, 'ba Eperaima te gaṛi Yakoba ro yasi, ago 'ba Manase te drigwo yasi. 14 Oko Yakoba gbalaka drí ndaro te gbalaka, 'ba drigwo ndaro te Eperaima dri se ni ŋgwa kovoleŋwa yi, ago 'ba drigaṛi ndaro te Manase dri se ni ŋgwa kayoŋwa yi. 15 'Dooko nda äṛu Yosepa te ekye:
“Lu se zutui maro Abarayama ndi Yisika be kinduruyi be rigye ono käṛu ŋgàga kwoi!
Lu se kelepe mabe tu cini ori maro roya, le tu ono si ono, käṛu ànya!
16 Malaika se kopa mabe ni ŋgakozi cini risi ono, käṛu ànya!
Ŋgàgaŋwa kwoi si ävuru maro ago ävuru zutui maro Abarayama ndi Yisika be ro kuje ko!
Ànya kilitiyi lowa ro 'bädri ya, ago ka'doyi zelevoi be amba!”
17 Ondro Yosepa kondrete täpi ndaro 'ba drigwo ndaro te Eperaima dri ayani oko, tana 'ba nda kote a'done yai'dwesi; nda eŋga drí täpi ndaro rote ni Eperaima drisi logone Manase dri. 18 Nda atate täpi ndaro ri ekye: “Ko inye täpi maro, tana ono ni ŋgwa kayo yi, mi'ba drigwo miro nda dri ayani.” 19 Oko täpi ndaro gazo, ago atate ekye: “Mänite ŋgwa maro, mänite, zelevoi Manase ro a'donayi kpa 'desiro, caoko ädrupi täduŋwa ndaro a'dona ni 'desipara ndra nda drisi, ago zelevoi ndaro a'dona 'da tu'de 'desi ro.”
20 'Dooko nda äṛu ànya te tu ana si ago atate ekye: “Yisaraele'bai uzinayi ävuru amiro 'da ondro ànya kayite ta äṛu ro oyena owo. Ànya atanayi 'da ekye: ‘Lu ko'ba mi oso Eperaima ronye ago oso Manase ronye;’ ” Yakoba 'ba Eperaima te mile Manase roya liti 'do yasi.
21 'Dooko Yakoba atate Yosepa ri ekye: “Oso mindrebe 'do ronye, ma oyete odrane, oko Lu a'dona ndi tro ami yibe ago logona ami kpa to'dina 'bädri zutui amiro roya. 22 Yauono mozo Sekeme miri ko ädrupii miro ri, anjioko wari se gyini na kadoro se märube ni Amora'bai rigyesi bando ndi kusu maro be si ana.”