창세기(Genesis) 48장

 

 

창세기(Genesis) 48장

 

1. 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

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 will 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, 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, 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 upon 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

then he, and his descendants will

become a group of nations."

 

20. He blessed them that day and said,

"In your 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 and take you back to the land

of your fathers.

 

22. And to you, as one who is over your

brothers, I give the ridge of land I took

from the Amorites with my sword and

my bow."