Genesis 48:1-22
48 Emva kwezi zinto, kwathiwa kuYosefu: “Jonga, utata wakho uya ephelelwa ngamandla.” Ngoko wahamba noonyana bakhe bobabini, uManase noEfrayim.+
2 Kwathiwa kuYakobi: “Nanku unyana wakho uYosefu, uze kuwe.” Ngoko uSirayeli waziqinisa, wahlala nkqo ebhedini yakhe.
3 Wathi kuYosefu:
“UThixo uSomandla wabonakala kum eLuzi kwilizwe lakwaKanan waza wandisikelela.+
4 Wathi kum, ‘Ndiza kukwenza uqhame, ndikwandise, ndikwenze ube libandla lezizwana,+ yaye ndiza kulinika inzala* yakho eli lizwe, libe lilifa layo ngonaphakade.’+
5 Oonyana bakho ababini obazalelwe kwilizwe laseYiputa, ngaphambi kokuba ndize kuwe apha, ngabam.+ UEfrayim noManase baza kuba ngabam njengoRubhen noSimeyon.+
6 Kodwa abantwana obazalelwe emva koEfrayim noManase baza kuba ngabakho. Elabo ilifa baza kulifumana egameni labantakwabo.+
7 Xa ndandihamba ePadan, uRakeli wafela+ ecaleni kwam kwilizwe lakwaKanan, kusasele umgama omde ngaphambi kokuba ndifike e-Efrata.+ Ndamngcwabela apho endleleni eya e-Efrata, oko kukuthi, eBhetelehem.”+
8 USirayeli wabona oonyana bakaYosefu waza wathi: “Ngoobani aba?”
9 UYosefu wathi kuye: “Aba ngoonyana bam endibaphiwe nguThixo kule ndawo.”+ Yena wathi: “Ndicela ubazise apha ukuze ndibasikelele.”+
10 Ngoku amehlo kaSirayeli ayenorhatyazo kuba emdala, ngoko wayengasaboni kakuhle. UYosefu wabasondeza, waza utata wakhe wabaphuza,* wabanga.
11 USirayeli wathi kuYosefu: “Zange ndayicinga into yokuba ndingaphinda ndibubone ubuso bakho,+ kodwa jonga, uThixo undenze ndabona nenzala* yakho.”
12 Emva koko uYosefu wabasusa emadolweni katata wakhe, waza waqubuda.
13 UYosefu wabathatha bobabini, uEfrayim+ ngesandla sasekunene, ukuze abe ngasekhohlo kuSirayeli, noManase+ ngesandla sasekhohlo, ukuze abe ngasekunene kuSirayeli, waza wabasondeza kuye.
14 Kodwa uSirayeli wasolula isandla sakhe sasekunene, wasibeka phezu kwentloko kaEfrayim, nangona wayengomncinci, waza wabeka isandla sakhe sasekhohlo phezu kwentloko kaManase. Wazibeka ngabom ngolu hlobo izandla zakhe, ekubeni uManase wayelizibulo.+
15 Emva koko wasikelela uYosefu wathi:+
“UThixo wokwenene abahamba phambi kwakhe ootata uAbraham noIsake,+UThixo wokwenene obendalusa bonke ubomi bam kwada kwanamhlanje,+
16 Ingelosi ebindihlangula kuzo zonke iintlekele,+ mayibasikelele aba bafana.+
Igama lam neloobawo uAbraham noIsake, malibizwe phezu kwabo,Mabande babe baninzi emhlabeni.”+
17 Uthe uYosefu akubona ukuba utata wakhe uqhubeka ebeke isandla sakhe sasekunene phezu kwentloko kaEfrayim, akayithanda loo nto. Ngoko wazama ukusisusa isandla sikatata wakhe phezu kwentloko kaEfrayim aze asibeke kwekaManase.
18 UYosefu wathi kutata wakhe: “Sukwenza ngolu hlobo tata, kuba nanku owamazibulo.+ Beka isandla sakho sasekunene entlokweni yakhe.”
19 Kodwa utata wakhe wala, wathi: “Ndiyazi nyana wam, ndiyazi. Naye uza kuba sisizwana ibe naye uza kuba mkhulu. Kodwa ke umninawa wakhe uza kuba mkhulu kunaye,+ kwaye inzala* yakhe iza kuba ziintlanga ezininzi.”+
20 Ngoko wabasikelela ngaloo mini+ esithi:
“AmaSirayeli makakukhankanye xa evakalisa intsikelelo esithi,‘Kwanga uThixo angakwenza ube njengoEfrayim nanjengoManase.’ ”
Ngaloo ndlela wayesoloko eqala ngoEfrayim kunoManase.
21 Emva koko uSirayeli wathi kuYosefu: “Jonga sele ndiza kufa,+ kodwa uThixo uza kuhlala enani aze anibuyisele kwilizwe lookhokho benu.+
22 Ndikunika isiqwenga somhlaba* esingakumbi kunabantakwenu, endasithatha esandleni sama-Amori ngekrele lam nangesaphetha sam.”
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “imbewu.”
^ Ukuphuza umntu, mhlawumbi esidleleni, kwakuyindlela eqhelekileyo yokubulisa.
^ Ngokoqobo, “nembewu.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “imbewu.”
^ Okanye “ithambeka lomhlaba.”
