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.”
1 Un pēc šiem notikumiem Jāzepam tika sacīts: "Tavs tēvs ir sasirdzis." Tad viņš paņēma savus divi dēlus, Manasi un Efraimu, sev līdzi 2 un sacīja Jēkabam: "Redzi, tavs dēls Jāzeps nāk pie tevis!" Tad Israēls atguva spēkus un apsēdās savā gultā. 3 Un Jēkabs sacīja Jāzepam: "Tas visuvarenais Dievs parādījās man Lūzā, Kānaāna zemē, un svētīja mani, 4 un man sacīja: redzi, Es būšu tas, kas tev liek augļoties un vairoties un kas tevi darīs par tautu kopu, un Es došu šo zemi par mūžīgu īpašumu taviem pēcnācējiem pēc tevis. 5 Tad nu tavi divi dēli, kas tev ir dzimuši Ēģiptes zemē, pirms es atnācu uz Ēģipti, Efraims un Manase, būs manējie, līdzīgi Rūbenam un Simeonam. 6 Bet tavi bērni, kas tev dzimuši pēc viņiem, piederēs tev, tiem jānes savu brāļu vārdi savās īpašuma tiesībās. 7 Bet man, nākot no Mezopotāmijas, nomira Rahēle Kānaāna zemē, vēl ceļā esot, nelielā attālumā no Efratas, un es viņu apglabāju tur ceļā uz Efratu, tas ir, uz Bētlemi." 8 Kad Israēls ieraudzīja Jāzepa dēlus, tas sacīja: "Kas tie tādi?" 9 Un Jāzeps sacīja savam tēvam: "Tie ir mani dēli, kurus Dievs man ir devis." Un viņš sacīja: "Pieved tos man tuvāk, ka es tos svētīju." 10 Israēla acis vecuma dēļ bija tumšas, un viņš nevarēja redzēt; un viņš tos tam pieveda klāt, un tas tos apkampa un skūpstīja. 11 Un Israēls sacīja Jāzepam: "Es nedomāju, ka vēl redzēšu tavu vaigu, un redzi, tagad Dievs man licis redzēt arī tavus pēcnācējus." 12 Un Jāzeps tos paņēma no viņa klēpja un noliecās viņa priekšā līdz zemei. 13 Un Jāzeps tos abus ņēma - Efraimu pie savas labās rokas, Israēlam pa kreisi, un Manasi kreisajā pusē, Israēlam pa labi, un tos pieveda viņam klāt. 14 Un Israēls izstiepa savu labo roku un lika to uz Efraima galvas, kaut gan tas bija tas jaunākais, un kreiso roku uz Manases galvas; viņš krusteniski lika savas rokas, kaut arī Manase bija pirmdzimtais. 15 Un viņš svētīja Jāzepu un sacīja: "Tas Dievs, kura priekšā staigāja mani tēvi, Ābrahāms un Īzāks, tas Dievs, kas man ir bijis mans gans visu manu mūžu, līdz pat šai dienai, 16 tas eņģelis, kas mani atpestījis no visa ļauna, tas lai svētī šos zēnus, ka viņu starpā dzīvo tālāk mans vārds, mana tēva Ābrahāma un Īzāka vārds, ka tie aug un vairojas zemes virsū." 17 Un Jāzeps ievēroja, ka viņa tēvs savu labo roku lika uz Efraima galvas. Tas viņa acīm bija nepatīkami, un viņš satvēra sava tēva roku, lai to novirzītu no Efraima galvas uz Manases galvu. 18 Un Jāzeps sacīja savam tēvam: "Ne tā, mans tēvs, šis ir vecākais, liec savu labo roku uz viņa galvu." 19 Bet viņa tēvs liedzās un sacīja: "Es zinu, mans dēls, es zinu ir to; arī tas taps par tautu, arī tas pieaugs, bet viņa jaunākais brālis būs lielāks par to, un viņa pēcnācēji būs tie, kas piepildīs zemi." 20 Un viņš to svētīja tanī dienā, sacīdams: "Tavā vārdā Israēla dēli svētīsies. Tie teiks: lai Dievs tev dara tā, kā Viņš Efraimam un Manasem ir darījis." Un viņš cēla Efraimu pār Manasi. 21 Un Israēls sacīja Jāzepam: "Redzi, es mirstu, bet Dievs būs ar jums un vedīs jūs atpakaļ jūsu zemē. 22 Un es tev dodu vienu kalna muguru vairāk par taviem brāļiem, kuru es esmu ieguvis no amoriešiem ar savu zobenu un ar savu loku."
