Génesis 48

1Después de esto recibió José la noticia: “He aquí, tu padre está enfermo.” Tomó, pues, consigo a sus dos hijos, Manasés y Efraím;

2y se lo anunciaron a Jacob, diciendo: “Mira que viene a ti tu hijo José.” Entonces Israel esforzándose se sentó en su lecho.

3Y dijo Jacob a José: “El Dios Todopoderoso se me apareció en Luz, en la tierra de Canaán, y me bendijo,

4diciéndome: ‘He aquí que Yo te haré crecer y te multiplicaré, y haré de ti una muchedumbre de pueblos y daré esta tierra en posesión perpetua a tu descendencia después de ti’.

5Ahora bien, tus dos hijos que te han nacido en tierra de Egipto antes de mi venida a ti a Egipto, serán míos. Como Rubén y Simeón, así serán míos Efraím y Manasés.

6Mas tus hijos que has engendrado después de ellos, son tuyos, y en cuanto a la herencia llevarán el nombre de sus hermanos.

7Al volver yo de Mesopotamia, se me murió Raquel en la tierra de Canaán, en el camino a poca distancia de Efrata; y la enterré allí en el camino de Efrata, que es Betlehem.”

8Viendo entonces Israel a los hijos de José, preguntó: “¿Quiénes son estos?”

9Respondió José a su padre: “Son mis hijos, los que Dios me ha dado aquí.” Y él dijo: “Acércamelos, te ruego, para que los bendiga.”

10Pues los ojos de Jacob se habían nublado por la vejez y no podía ya ver. Entonces José se los acercó, y él los besó y los abrazó.

11Después dijo Israel a José: “Yo no pensaba ya ver más tu rostro, y he aquí que Dios me ha concedido ver también a tus hijos.”

12Y sacándolos de entre las rodillas de Jacob se postró José delante de él en tierra.

13Luego tomó José a ambos, a Efraím a su derecha, o sea a la izquierda de Israel, y a Manasés a su izquierda, o sea a la derecha de Israel, y los acercó a este.

14E Israel extendió su mano derecha y la puso sobre la cabeza de Efraím, que era el menor, y su izquierda (la puso) sobre la cabeza de Manasés, cruzando las manos, aunque Manasés era el primogénito.

15Y bendijo a José, diciendo: “El Dios en cuya presencia caminaron mis padre Abrahán e Isaac, el Dios que ha sido mi Pastor desde que existo hasta el día de hoy,

16el Ángel que me ha librado de todo mal, bendiga a estos niños; sean llamados con mi nombre y con el nombre de mis padres Abrahán e Isaac, y multiplíquense más y más sobre la tierra.”

17Cuando José vio que su padre tenía la mano derecha puesta sobre la cabeza de Efraím, no le pareció bien; tomando la mano de su padre para pasarla de la cabeza de Efraím a la cabeza de Manasés,

18dijo a su padre: “No así, padre mío, este es el primogénito; pon tu derecha sobre su cabeza.”

19Pero se negó su padre, diciendo: “Lo sé, hijo mío, lo sé; también él vendrá a ser un pueblo, también él será grande; pero su hermano menor será más grande que él, y su descendencia vendrá a ser una multitud de naciones.”

20Y los bendijo en aquel día, diciendo: “Por ti se bendecirá en Israel con las palabras: «¡Dios te haga como a Efraím y como a Manasés!»”

21Después dijo Israel a José: “He aquí que yo me muero; mas Dios estará con vosotros y os hará volver al país de vuestros padres.

22Y a ti te doy una porción más que a tus hermanos, la que tomé al amorreo con mi espada y con mi arco.”

1His ita transactis, nuntiatum est Joseph quod ægrotaret pater suus: qui, assumptis duobus filiis Manasse et Ephraim, ire perrexit.

2Dictumque est seni: Ecce filius tuus Joseph venit ad te. Qui confortatus sedit in lectulo.

3Et ingresso ad se ait: Deus omnipotens apparuit mihi in Luza, quæ est in terra Chanaan: benedixitque mihi,

4et ait: Ego te augebo et multiplicabo, et faciam te in turbas populorum: daboque tibi terram hanc, et semini tuo post te in possessionem sempiternam.

5Duo ergo filii tui, qui nati sunt tibi in terra Ægypti antequam huc venirem ad te, mei erunt: Ephraim et Manasses, sicut Ruben et Simeon reputabuntur mihi.

6Reliquos autem quos genueris post eos, tui erunt, et nomine fratrum suorum vocabuntur in possessionibus suis.

7Mihi enim, quando veniebam de Mesopotamia, mortua est Rachel in terra Chanaan in ipso itinere, eratque vernum tempus: et ingrediebar Ephratam, et sepelivi eam juxta viam Ephratæ, quæ alio nomine appellatur Bethlehem.

8Videns autem filios ejus dixit ad eum: Qui sunt isti?

9Respondit: Filii mei sunt, quos donavit mihi Deus in hoc loco. Adduc, inquit, eos ad me, ut benedicam illis.

10Oculi enim Israël caligabant præ nimia senectute, et clare videre non poterat. Applicitosque ad se, deosculatus et circumplexus eos,

11dixit ad filium suum: Non sum fraudatus aspectu tuo: insuper ostendit mihi Deus semen tuum.

12Cumque tulisset eos Joseph de gremio patris, adoravit pronus in terram.

13Et posuit Ephraim ad dexteram suam, id est, ad sinistram Israël: Manassen vero in sinistra sua, ad dexteram scilicet patris, applicuitque ambos ad eum.

14Qui extendens manum dexteram, posuit super caput Ephraim minoris fratris: sinistram autem super caput Manasse qui major natu erat, commutans manus.

15Benedixitque Jacob filiis Joseph, et ait: Deus, in cujus conspectu ambulaverunt patres mei Abraham, et Isaac; Deus qui pascit me ab adolescentia mea usque in præsentem diem:

16angelus, qui eruit me de cunctis malis, benedicat pueris istis: et invocetur super eos nomen meum, nomina quoque patrum meorum Abraham et Isaac, et crescant in multitudinem super terram.

17Videns autem Joseph quod posuisset pater suus dexteram manum super caput Ephraim, graviter accepit: et apprehensam manum patris levare conatus est de capite Ephraim, et transferre super caput Manasse.

18Dixitque ad patrem: Non ita convenit, pater: quia hic est primogenitus, pone dexteram tuam super caput ejus.

19Qui renuens, ait: Scio, fili mi, scio: et iste quidem erit in populos, et multiplicabitur: sed frater ejus minor, major erit illo: et semen illius crescet in gentes.

20Benedixitque eis in tempore illo, dicens: In te benedicetur Israël, atque dicetur: Faciat tibi Deus sicut Ephraim, et sicut Manasse. Constituitque Ephraim ante Manassen.

21Et ait ad Joseph filium suum: En ego morior, et erit Deus vobiscum, reducetque vos ad terram patrum vestrorum.

22Do tibi partem unam extra fratres tuos, quam tuli de manu Amorrhæi in gladio et arcu meo.

1After these things, it was told Joseph that his father was sick: and he set out to go to him, taking his two sons Manasses and Ephraim.

2And it was told the old man: Behold thy son Joseph cometh to thee. And being strengthened he sat on his bed.

3And when Joseph was come in to him, he said: God Almighty appeared to me at Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan: and he blessed me,

4And he said: I will cause thee to increase and multiply, and I will make of thee a multitude of people: and I will give this land to thee, and to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

5So thy two sons who were born to thee in the land of Egypt before I came hither to thee, shall be mine: Ephraim and Manasses shall be reputed to me as Ruben and Simeon.

6But the rest whom thou shalt have after them, shall be thine, and shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions.

7For, when I came out of Mesopotamia, Rachel died from me in the land of Chanaan in the very journey, and it was springtime: and I was going to Ephrata, and I buried her near the way of Ephrata, which by another name is called Bethlehem.

8Then seeing his sons, he said to him: Who are these?

9He answered: They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said: Bring them to me that I may bless them.

10For Israel’s eyes were dim by reason of his great age, and he could not see clearly. And when they were brought to him, he kissed and embraced them.

11And said to his son: I am not deprived of seeing thee: moreover God hath showed me thy seed.

12And when Joseph had taken them from his father’s lap, he bowed down with his face to the ground.

13And he set Ephraim on his right hand, that is, towards the left hand of Israel; but Manasses on his left hand, to wit, towards his father’s right hand, and brought them near to him.

14But he stretching forth his right hand, put it upon the head of Ephraim the younger brother; and the left upon the head of Manasses who was the elder, changing his hands.

15And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God that feedeth me from my youth until this day;

16The angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers Abraham, and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.

17And Joseph seeing that his father had put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, was much displeased: and taking his father’s hand he tried to lift it from Ephraim’s head, and to remove it to the head of Manasses.

18And he said to his father: It should not be so, my father: for this is the firstborn, put thy right hand upon his head.

19But he refusing, said: I know, my son, I know: and this also shall become peoples, and shall be multiplied: but this younger brother shall be greater than he: and his seed shall grow into nations.

20And he blessed them at that time, saying: In thee shall Israel be blessed, and it shall be said: God do to thee as to Ephraim, and as to Manasses. And he set Ephraim before Manasses.

21And he said to Joseph his son: Behold I die, and God will be with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers.

22I give thee a portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorrhite with my sword and bow.