Genesis 48
1 Some time later, someone told Joseph, “[Hey, ] your father is ill.” When Joseph heard that, he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to see his father.
Le nya siawo megbe la, wova gblɔ na Yosef be fofoa ƒe lãmegbegblẽ la nu nɔ sesẽm ɖe edzi kokoko. Ale wòkplɔ Via ŋutsuvi eveawo, Manase kple Efraim, eye woyi ɖakpɔe ɖa.
2 When someone told Jacob, “Look, your son Joseph has come to see you!” Jacob sat up on the bed, even though it was difficult for him to do that.
Eye wogblɔ na Yakob bena, “Kpɔ ɖa viwò Yosef va gbɔwò.” Tete Israel do ŋusẽ nu fɔ henɔ anyi ɖe abatia dzi be yeado gbe nɛ,
3 He said to Joseph, “When I was at Luz in Canaan, God Almighty appeared to me. He blessed me
eye wògblɔ na Yosef be, “Mawu Ŋusẽkatãtɔ ɖe eɖokui fiam le Luz, le Kanaanyigba dzi, eye wòyram.
4 and said to me, ‘I am going to enable you to become the father of many children. You will have many descendants, and they will become [the ancestors of] many people-groups. And I will give this land to your descendants to possess forever.’
Egblɔ nam be, ‘Mawɔ wò nàzu dukɔ gã, eye matsɔ Kanaanyigba sia ana wò kple wò dzidzimeviwo, wòanye mia tɔ tegbetegbe.’
5 “And now I will consider that your two sons, who were born to you here in Egypt before I came here, will (belong to me/be as though they are my sons). Ephraim and Manasseh will be [as though they were] my sons, and they will inherit my possessions, just like my sons Reuben and Simeon [and the others] will.
Azɔ le viwò eve siawo, Efraim kple Manase, ame siwo wodzi le Egiptenyigba dzi hafi meva la, mele woawo ya xɔm abe nye ŋutɔ vinyewo ene, eye woanyi nye dome abe Ruben kple Simeon ke ene.
6 If you later become the father of any more children, they will not be considered to be my children, but as my grandchildren, and [in Canaan] they will receive as part of what they inherit some of the same land that is in the territory that their brothers [Ephraim and Manasseh] will inherit.
Ke viwò bubu ɖe sia ɖe ya la, anye wò ŋutɔ tɔ, eye woanyi Efraim kple Manase ƒe dome tso gbɔwò le wò ŋutɔ wò nuwo gome.
7 Many years ago, as I was returning from Paddan-Aram/Mesopotamia, your mother Rachel died in the Canaan region, while we were still traveling, not far from Ephrath [town]. So I buried her body there alongside the road to Ephrath [which is now called Bethlehem].”
Elabena dawò Rahel dzi vi eve ko, eye wòku esi metso Padan gbɔna Kanaan. Ke esi míegogo Efrat la, meɖii ɖe mɔ to le Efrat” (si nye Betlehem).
8 When Jacob saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these boys?”
Israel lé ŋku ɖe Yosef ƒe ŋutsuviawo ŋu, eye wòbia be, “Ŋutsuviawoe nye esiawoa?”
9 Joseph replied, “They are the sons that God has given to me here in Egypt.” Jacob said, “Bring them close to me so that I can bless them.”
Yosef ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, esiawoe nye ŋutsuvi siwo Mawu nam le afii le Egipte.” Israel gblɔ be, “Kplɔ wo te ɖe ŋunye ne mayra wo.”
10 Jacob was almost blind because he was very old. He could not recognize the boys. So Joseph brought his sons close to his father, and Jacob kissed them and hugged them.
Israel ƒe tsitsi na eƒe ŋkuwo tsi afã kple afã, eye megatea ŋu kpɔa nu tututu o. Ale Yosef kplɔ viawo te ɖe eŋu kpokploe. Egbugbɔ nu na wo, eye wòkpla asi kɔ na wo.
11 Jacob said to Joseph, “I did not expect to see you again, but look at this! God has allowed me to see not only you, but he has allowed me to see your children, too!”
Israel gblɔ na Yosef be, “Nyemebu tsã be magakpɔ wò o, ke azɔ Mawu na mekpɔ viwòwo hã.”
12 Joseph took the boys from alongside Jacob’s knees. Then he bowed down with his face to the ground.
Tete Yosef ɖe wo ɖa le Israel ƒe atata, eye wòde ta agu, tsyɔ mo anyi.
13 Then Joseph took both of the boys, putting Ephraim on his right side toward Jacob’s left hand, and putting Manasseh on his left side toward Jacob’s right hand, and brought them close to Jacob.
Eye Yosef tsɔ wo ame eveawo; Efraim yi ɖe ɖusime be wòanɔ Israel ƒe miame, eye Manase yi ɖe miame be wòanɔ Israel ƒe ɖusime, eye wòkplɔ wo te ɖe Israel ŋu.
14 But Jacob [did not do what Joseph wanted him to do. Instead], he reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, even though he was the younger son. He crossed his arms and put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the older son.
Ke Israel tso ga eƒe abɔwo esime wòdi be yeada yeƒe asiwo ɖe ɖeviawo ƒe tawo dzi. Ale eƒe ɖusi nɔ Efraim, ame si nye ɖevitɔ, eye wònɔ eƒe miame la ƒe ta dzi, eye eƒe miasi nɔ Manase, ame si nye tsitsitɔ, eye wònɔ eƒe ɖusime la ƒe ta dzi.
15 Then he (blessed/asked God to bless) Joseph and his sons, saying, “My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac conducted their lives as God desired, and to this very day God has led me and taken care of me as a shepherd leads and cares for his sheep [MET].
Eyra Yosef kple nya siawo be, “Mawu, fofonye Abraham kple Isak ƒe Mawu, ame si kplɔm le nye agbenɔɣi katã me la nayra ŋutsuvi siawo nukutɔe.
16 The angel whom he sent has kept me from being harmed in any way. I pray that God will bless these boys. I pray that people will never forget about me and about Abraham and Isaac because of what God does for these boys. I pray that they will have many descendants who will live all over the earth.”
Mawudɔla si ɖem tso xaxa ɖe sia ɖe me la nayra ɖevi siawo, woade bubu nye ŋkɔ ŋu, eye woade bubu fofonye Abraham kple Isak ƒe ŋkɔwo ŋu. Mawu naɖi ne woazu dukɔ gã aɖe.”
17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head and not on Manasseh’s head, he was distressed/displeased. So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
Ke Yosef tɔtɔ, eye mekpɔ ŋudzedze le ale si fofoa da eƒe nuɖusi ɖe Efraim ƒe ta dzi la ŋu o. Ale wòɖe fofoa ƒe nuɖusi ɖa be yeadae ɖe Manase boŋ tɔ dzi.
18 Joseph said to him, “My father, that is not right! The one on whom you put your left hand is my older son. Put your right hand on his head.”
Egblɔ be, “Ao, fofonye, ètsɔ wò nuɖusi da ɖe ame si ƒe ta dzi mele be nàdae ɖo o la! Ame si le afi sia lae nye tsitsitɔ. Da wò nuɖusi ɖe eya boŋ dzi!”
19 But his father refused, saying, “I know that, my son, I know what I am doing. Manasseh’s descendants will also become a people-group, and they will become important. But his younger brother’s descendants will become greater than his will. His descendants will become several nations.”
Ke fofoa gbe hegblɔ nɛ be, “Vinye, menya nu si wɔm mele. Manase hã azu dukɔ gã aɖe, ke nɔvia suetɔ azu dukɔ gã wu.”
20 So he blessed them both on that day, saying, “The people in Israel will use your names when they bless people. They will say, ‘We pray that God will help you as he helped Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In that way, Jacob said that Ephraim would become more important than Manasseh.
Ale Yakob yra ɖeviawo gbe ma gbe ale: “Israelviwo nayra wo nɔewo agblɔ be, ‘Mawu nana nuwo nadze edzi na wò abe Efraim kple Manase ene!’” Ale wòtsɔ Efraim ɖo tsitsi na Manase.
21 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I am about to die. But I know that God will help/protect you. And some day he will take your descendants back to the land of their ancestors.
Israel gblɔ na Yosef be, “Mele kuku ge kpuie, ke Mawu anɔ kpli wò, eye wòagakplɔ wò ayi Kanaan, fofowòwo ƒe anyigba dzi.
22 And it is to you, not to your brothers, that I will give the fertile hill in the Shechem area. I captured that land from the Amor people-group, fighting them with my sword and my bow and arrows.”
Metsɔ Sekemnyigba si metsɔ nye yi kple dati xɔ le Amoritɔwo si la na wò ɖe nɔviwòwo teƒe be wòanye wò gome.”
