Liber Genesis, 48

1. His ita transactis, nuntiatum est Ioseph quod aegrotaret pater suus. Et assumpsit secum duos filios Manasse et Ephraim.

1. After this Joseph was told, "Behold, your father is ill"; so he took with him his two sons, Manas'seh and E'phraim.

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

2. And it was told to Jacob, "Your son Joseph has come to you"; then Israel summoned his strength, and sat up in bed.

3. et ingresso ad se ait: “Deus omnipotens apparuit mihi in Luza, quae est in terra Chanaan, benedixitque mihi

3. And Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

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

4. and said to me, `Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.'

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

5. And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; E'phraim and Manas'seh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.

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

6. And the offspring born to you after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

7. Mihi enim, quando veniebam de Paddanaram, mortua est Rachel mater tua in terra Chanaan in ipso itinere, cum adhuc esset spatium aliquod usque ad Ephratham, et sepelivi eam iuxta viam Ephrathae, quae alio nomine appellatur Bethlehem”.

7. For when I came from Paddan, Rachel to my sorrow died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

8. Videns autem filios eius dixit ad eum: “Qui sunt isti?”.

8. When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?"

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

9. Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." And he said, "Bring them to me, I pray you, that I may bless them."

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

10. Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him; and he kissed them and embraced them.

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

11. And Israel said to Joseph, "I had not thought to see your face; and lo, God has let me see your children also."

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

12. Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

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

13. And Joseph took them both, E'phraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manas'seh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him.

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

14. And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of E'phraim, who was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manas'seh, crossing his hands, for Manas'seh was the first-born.

15. Benedixitque Iacob Ioseph et ait: “Deus, in cuius conspectu ambulaverunt patres mei Abraham et Isaac, Deus, qui pascit me ab adulescentia mea usque in praesentem diem,

15. And he blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has led me all my life long to this day,

16. Angelus, 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!”.

16. the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

17. Videns autem Ioseph 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.

17. When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of E'phraim, it displeased him; and he took his father's hand, to remove it from E'phraim's head to Manas'seh's head.

18. Dixitque ad patrem: “Non ita convenit, pater, quia hic est primogenitus; pone dexteram tuam super caput eius!”.

18. And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father; for this one is the first-born; put your right hand upon his head."

19. Qui renuens ait: “Scio, fili mi, scio; et iste quidem erit in populos et multiplicabitur, sed frater eius minor maior erit illo, et semen illius crescet in plenitudinem gentium”.

19. But his father refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

20. Benedixitque eis in die illo dicens: “In te benedicet Israel atque dicet: "Faciat te Deus sicut Ephraim et sicut Manasse!"”. Constituitque Ephraim ante Manassen.

20. So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, `God make you as E'phraim and as Manas'seh'";

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

21. Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and will bring you again to the land of your fathers.

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

22. Moreover I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow."