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.
Después de esto recibió José la noticia: “He aquí, tu padre está enfermo.” Tomó, pues, consigo a sus dos hijos, Manasés y Efraím;
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.
y se lo anunciaron a Jacob, diciendo: “Mira que viene a ti tu hijo José.” Entonces Israel esforzándose se sentó en su lecho.
3 He said to Joseph, “When I was at Luz in Canaan, God Almighty appeared to me. He blessed me
Y dijo Jacob a José: “El Dios Todopoderoso se me apareció en Luz, en la tierra de Canaán, y me bendijo,
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.’
diciéndome: ‘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’.
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.
Ahora 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.
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.
Mas tus hijos que has engendrado después de ellos, son tuyos, y en cuanto a la herencia llevarán el nombre de sus hermanos.
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].”
Al 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.”
8 When Jacob saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these boys?”
Viendo entonces Israel a los hijos de José, preguntó: “¿Quiénes son estos?”
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.”
Respondió José a su padre: “Son mis hijos, los que Dios me ha dado aquí.” Y él dijo: “Acércamelos, te ruego, para que los bendiga.”
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.
Pues 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.
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!”
Después 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.”
12 Joseph took the boys from alongside Jacob’s knees. Then he bowed down with his face to the ground.
Y sacándolos de entre las rodillas de Jacob se postró José delante de él en tierra.
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.
Luego 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.
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.
E 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.
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].
Y 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,
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.”
el 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.”
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.
Cuando 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,
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.”
dijo a su padre: “No así, padre mío, este es el primogénito; pon tu derecha sobre su cabeza.”
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.”
Pero 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.”
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.
Y 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!»”
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.
Después dijo Israel a José: “He aquí que yo me muero; mas Dios estará con vosotros y os hará volver al país de vuestros padres.
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.”
Y a ti te doy una porción más que a tus hermanos, la que tomé al amorreo con mi espada y con mi arco.”
