創世記48:1-22

48:1 這事以後，有人告訴約瑟說：「你的父親病了。」他就帶著兩個兒子瑪拿西和以法蓮同去。

48:2 有人告訴雅各說：「請看，你兒子約瑟到你這裡來了。」以色列就勉強在床上坐起來。

48:3 雅各對約瑟說：「全能的上帝曾在迦南地的路斯向我顯現，賜福與我，

48:4 對我說：『我必使你生養眾多，成為多民，又要把這地賜給你的後裔，永遠為業。』

48:5 我未到埃及見你之先，你在埃及地所生的以法蓮和瑪拿西這兩個兒子是我的，正如流便和西緬是我的一樣。

48:6 你在他們以後所生的就是你的，他們可以歸於他們弟兄的名下得產業。

48:7 至於我，我從巴旦來的時候，拉結死在我眼前，在迦南地的路上，離以法他還有一段路程，我就把她葬在以法他的路上〈以法他就是伯利恆〉。」

48:8 以色列看見約瑟的兩個兒子，就說：「這是誰？」

48:9 約瑟對他父親說：「這是上帝在這裡賜給我的兒子。」以色列說：「請你領他們到我跟前，我要給他們祝福。」

48:10 以色列年紀老邁，眼睛昏花，不能看見。約瑟領他們到他跟前，他就和他們親嘴，抱著他們。

48:11 以色列對約瑟說：「我想不到得見你的面，不料，上帝又使我得見你的兒子。」

48:12 約瑟把兩個兒子從以色列兩膝中領出來，自己就臉伏於地下拜。

48:13 隨後，約瑟又拉著他們兩個，以法蓮在他的右手裡，對著以色列的左手，瑪拿西在他的左手裡，對著以色列的右手，領他們到以色列的跟前。

48:14 以色列伸出右手來，按在以法蓮的頭上〈以法蓮乃是次子〉，又剪搭過左手來，按在瑪拿西的頭上〈瑪拿西原是長子〉。

48:15 他就給約瑟祝福說：「願我祖亞伯拉罕和我父以撒所事奉的上帝，就是一生牧養我直到今日的上帝，

48:16 救贖我脫離一切患難的那使者，賜福與這兩個童子。願他們歸在我的名下和我祖亞伯拉罕、我父以撒的名下。又願他們在世界中生養眾多。」

48:17 約瑟見他父親把右手按在以法蓮的頭上，就不喜悅，便提起他父親的手，要從以法蓮頭上挪到瑪拿西的頭上。

48:18 約瑟對他父親說：「我父，不是這樣。這本是長子，求你把右手按在他的頭上。」

48:19 他父親不從，說：「我知道，我兒，我知道。他也必成為一族，也必昌大。只是他的兄弟將來比他還大；他兄弟的後裔要成為多族。」

48:20 當日就給他們祝福說：「以色列人要指著你們祝福說：『願上帝使你如以法蓮、瑪拿西一樣。』」於是立以法蓮在瑪拿西以上。

48:21 以色列又對約瑟說：「我要死了，但上帝必與你們同在，領你們回到你們列祖之地。

48:22 並且我從前用弓用刀從亞摩利人手下奪的那塊地，我都賜給你，使你比眾弟兄多得一分。」

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

3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[a] appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 4 and 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. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan,[b] 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).

8 When 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 I may bless them.”

10 Now 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.

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

12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But 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.

15 Then 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,

16

the 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.”

17 When 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. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

19 But 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.” 20 He blessed them that day and said,

“In your[c] name will Israel pronounce this blessing:

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

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you[d] and take you[e] back to the land of your[f] fathers. 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[g] than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

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    雅各為約瑟的兩個兒子祝福。