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.”
Yaakuba ye neemoo duwaa Yusufa dinkee fuloo ye
1 Ñiŋ kuwo koolaa, ì naata a fo Yusufa ye ko, “I faamaa saasaata le.” Wo le to a niŋ a dinkee fuloo, Manase niŋ Efurayimu*, taata ñoo la. 2 Kabiriŋ ì ye kumoo futandi Yaakuba ma ko, “I dinkewo Yusufa le naata i yaa,” a ye a faŋ bambandi, a wulita, a siita laaraŋo kaŋ.
3 Bituŋ Yaakuba ko Yusufa ye ko, “Alla Tallaa fintita n kaŋ Lusi le, Kanaani bankoo kaŋ. Bituŋ a neemata m ma, 4 a ko n ye ko, ‘M be i jiidindi la ka i koomoo siyandi. M be moo jamaa-jamaa le bo la i bala, aduŋ m be ñiŋ bankoo dii la i koomalankoolu le la ite koolaa, ka ke ì taa ti fo fawu.’ 5 Wo kamma la, i dinkee fuloo, Efurayimu aniŋ Manase, i ye mennu wuluu Misira, janniŋ n ka naa jaŋ, be nte le la karoo la. M be ì ke la le komeŋ m faŋo dinkewolu, komeŋ Rubeni niŋ Simeyoni be n ye ñaameŋ. 6 I ye diŋolu mennu wuluu itolu koolaa, wolu be tara la i faŋo la karoo le la. Ì la keetaabankoo be bo la Efurayimu niŋ Manase la karoo le la. 7 I baamaa Raheli la kuwo le ye a tinna ŋa ñiŋ kuwo ke. Kabiriŋ m be muru kaŋ ka bo Padani ka taa Kanaani bankoo kaŋ, a faata m bulu siloo kaŋ, niŋ i sumanta Efurata* saatewo la domandiŋ doroŋ. Ŋa a baadee jee le to sila daala, meŋ ka taa Efurata, saayiŋ ì ka a fo daameŋ ye Betilehemu.”
8 Kabiriŋ Isirayila ye Yusufa dinkewolu je, a kumata ko, “Jumaa le mu ñinnu ti?” 9 Yusufa ko a faamaa ye ko, “N diŋolu le mu, Alla ye mennu dii n na jaŋ.” Bituŋ a ko a ye ko, “Ì samba n ye naŋ, fo n si neemoo daani ì ye.” 10 Saayiŋ Isirayila ñaalu ka dibi a ma le keebaayaa kamma la, a buka jeroo ke noo baake. Wo le to Yusufa ye ì samba naŋ a daala, a ye i miniŋ ì la, a ye ì sumbu. 11 Isirayila ko Yusufa ye ko, “N nene maŋ a miira ko, n si i je kotenke. Alla fele, a ye n jerendi i diŋolu faŋolu la.”
12 Bituŋ Yusufa naata ì bondi a faamaa Isirayila wutoo kaŋ, a ñoyita ka biti bankoo to a ñaatiliŋo la. 13 Wo koolaa, a ye Efurayimu muta a bulubaa buloo kono, a ye a londi Isirayila maraa karoo la. Bituŋ a ye Manase muta a maraa buloo kono, a ye wo londi Isirayila bulubaa karoo la. 14 Bari Isirayila naata a buloolu bantambili le. Wo le to a ye a bulubaa buloo laa Efurayimu kuŋo to, a niŋ a la dindiŋyaa ñaa-wo-ñaa. Bituŋ a ye a maraa buloo laa Manase kuŋo to, meŋ mu diŋ foloo ti. 15 A ye neemoo daani Yusufa ye, a ko a ye ko,
“M mamakewo Iburayima aniŋ m faamaa Isiyaaka
taamata Alla la siloo le la.
Ate le keta n kantalaa ti n na baluwo bee kono,
fo ka naa bula bii tiloo la.
16 Aduŋ a la malaayikoo le ye n tanka kooroo kuwo bee ma.
Allamaa Alla ye neema ke ñiŋ kambaanendiŋolu ye.
Allamaa n too niŋ n na moo foloolu Iburayima niŋ Isiyaaka toolu
ye tu keriŋ ka bo niŋ ñinnu la.
Allamaa ì ke la jiidilaa ti, ì ye siyaa duniyaa kono.”
17 Kabiriŋ Yusufa ye a je ko, a faamaa ye a bulubaa buloo laa Efurayimu le kuŋo kaŋ, a maŋ diyaa a ye. Wo le to a ye a faamaa buloo muta ka a bondi Efurayimu kuŋo to, ka a ke Manase kuŋo to. 18 Yusufa ko a faamaa ye ko, “Fo wo nte, m faamaa, baawo ñiŋ doo le mu diŋ foloo ti. I buloo laa wo le kuŋo kaŋ.” 19 Bari a faamaa maŋ soŋ, a ko a ye ko, “Ŋa a loŋ ne, n diŋo, ŋa a loŋ ne. A fanaa be naa ke la lasiloo le ti, a be ke la moo baa le fanaa ti. Bari a si ke ñaa-wo-ñaa, a doomaa Efurayimu le la kuwo be wara la a ti, a koomoo be siyaa la le famfaŋ ka ke lasili jamaa ti.”
20 Wo le to a ye neemoo daani ì ye wo luŋo la, ka a fo ko, “Niŋ Banisirayilankoolu be neemoo daani la moo-wo-moo ye, ì be a fo la le ko, ‘Allamaa Alla ye i ke ko Efurayimu niŋ Manase.’ ” Bituŋ a ye Efurayimu la kuwo tambindi Manase la. 21 Bituŋ Isirayila ko Yusufa ye ko, “Sambii m be faa la. Bari Alla be tara la ali fee le, aduŋ a be ali samba la ali la moo foloolu la bankoo kaŋ ne kotenke. 22 Ŋa kenoo meŋ taa Amorinkoolu bulu n na hawusaroo* niŋ n na kalabeñoo la, ŋa wo dulaa dii i la le saayiŋ ka lafaa i taa kaŋ, i niŋ i kotookewolu niŋ i doomaa ye meŋ talaa.”
