參考版本 AFV  A  Faithful Version 的希臘文 2009版本    

耶和華的事，不謀利沒有版權

1. And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2. And one spoke to Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you.” And Israel strengthened himself and sat upon the bed.

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

4. And He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you. And I will make of you a multitude of people, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.’

5. And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who are born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine. Like Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

6. And your offspring which you beget after them shall be yours, and shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

7. And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still but a little way to come to Ephrath. And I buried her there in the way of Ephrath, that is Bethlehem.”

8. And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”

9. And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.” And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”

10. And the eyes of Israel were dim for age; he could not see. And he brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

11. And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought I would see your face, and, lo, God showed me also your offspring.”

12. And Joseph brought them out from between his father’s knees, and he bowed his face to the earth.

13. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh in his left toward Israel’s right hand. And he brought them near to him.

14. And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left upon Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15. And he blessed Joseph and said, “May God, before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God Who fed me all my life to this day,

16. The Angel Who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. And let my name be perpetuated in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17. And Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, and it displeased him. And he held up his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.

18. And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand upon his head.”

19. And his father refused and said, “I know it, my son, I know it. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great, but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.”

20. And he blessed them that day, saying, “In you shall Israel bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’ ” And he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21. And Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I die. But God shall be with you, and bring you again into the land of your fathers.

22. And I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”

 (A Faithful Version)

1. 過了一段時日，有人來告知約瑟：你父親生病。於是帶著兩個兒子瑪拿西和以法蓮去掙望老父。

2. 到達後，有人轉告雅各：你兒子約瑟來掙望。以色列就振作起來，坐在床上。

3. 此時，雅各對約瑟說：全能的耶和華向我展現，就在迦南地的路斯，向我祝福。

4. 對我說：我讓你家道豐富，子孫成群，這地作為他們永遠的基業。

5. 你兩位兒子以法蓮和瑪拿西，他們在我到來之前在埃及出生，如今也成了我的子孫，跟呂便和西緬一樣。

6.在他們之後出世的，就不再是屬我的，這些全歸你約瑟名下。你以後出身的兒子在繼承權上的名字，排在眾兄弟的名後。

7. 我雅各從巴旦來迦南的時候，拉結在路上安息在我身旁，當時離以法他還有一段路。唯有把她安葬在以法他路經的伯利恆附近。

8. 以色列此時轉看約瑟的二位兒子，問：他們是誰？

9. 約瑟對父親說：是我的兒子，是耶和華賜的。父親說：讓他們過來，我要祝福他們。

10. 以色列年當時老眼昏花，看不清事物。約瑟領他們到以色列床前，擁抱並親吻這二個孩子。

11. 隨後對約瑟說：我沒想過有機會相遇，估不到耶和華能讓我看到你的兒子。

12. 約瑟把二位兒子，到坐在床邊的以色列，伏拜在父親兩膝之間。

13. 隨後，約瑟扶起兩個兒子，以法蓮在他右手邊，站在以色列的左邊；瑪拿西在他左手邊，站在以色列的右邊，就站在以色列的前面。

14. 以色列伸出右手，按在以法蓮的頭上，以法蓮是次子；伸出左手，以交叉方式，將左手放在瑪拿西的頭上。只是，瑪拿西是長子。

15. 約瑟一同跪下，以色列說：願我先祖亞伯拉罕、以撒所事奉的，祂看顧我的一生，直到今日的耶和華。

16. 祂把我從人間種種事故中解救出來的那位，祝福這兩孩子。願我的名，我先祖亞伯拉罕、以撒的名，永存他們心間，並在世間昌盛繁榮。

17. 此時約瑟發覺，父親是把右手按在以法蓮的頭上，有點驚訝。便上前拉起父親的手，要從以法蓮的頭上，移到瑪拿西的頭上。

18. 隨即對父親說：這樣不對，手該放在長子頭上。

19. 只是為父的不肯，說：我知道，我兒，這個我是知道。這長子會有自己的一族，很強大。只是他弟弟將要比他更為強大，後裔會演變成更多族群。

20. 於是以色列舉手為約瑟兩兒子祝福，說：你倆，現接受以色列的祝福。於是把手先放在以法蓮頭上，之後才放手在瑪拿西頭上。

21. 以色列祝福完便對約瑟說：我將離去，只是耶和華與你同在，將領你回到列祖之地。

22. 我專為你預備一塊土地，是當年用刀和弓從亞摩利人手中奪取的，你的兄弟沒有。

這是以色列，一位改了名的人，不再從雅各這個人的身份看事物，特別在有關屬乎信仰的延續這事上。這是真心信靠如雅各，就有可能在夢中與耶和華相遇，因為耶和華本是靈。這說明一個道理，人是可以獨自與耶和華相遇，以靈溝通，那是心靈有匯通的可能。如果沒有或者不肯定，也許可以問問，自己的信心夠不夠大。

這是一種個人的屬靈體會，雅各是最好的說明。

以色列臨終前的祝福又是別具一格。他的祝福不同亞伯拉罕和以撒，按族系人選出婚姻對象，從其中所生的為依據。約瑟是被賜婚，幸好是祭司的女兒。有理由相信這是有耶和華的安排，約瑟遇到一個明君，他信奉猶太人獨一真主。以色列祝福不是表長子位份，而是孩子的本質：有信守和堅持信靠耶和華的韌力，他選了次子以法蓮。約瑟很詫異，試圖拉以色列的手去更正，不果。

究竟這是以色列的夢還是雅各的夢？這段經文的描述，在段段是用以色列這名字去祝福，那麼如何理解這福氣的內容？那就看看他們的生平，如下：

From AI:

Ephraim was the second son of Joseph and his Egyptian wife, Asenath, born during the years of famine in Egypt. His name means “doubly fruitful,” reflecting Joseph’s gratitude to God. He is one of the most prominent biblical figures because his lineage became one of the leading tribes of Israel.

The Stolen Blessing

When Ephraim and his older brother, Manasseh, were young men, their grandfather, Jacob, adopted them as his own sons. This adoption gave them equal inheritance status with Jacob’s original 12 sons.

When Jacob was dying, Joseph brought the boys to receive his final blessing. Joseph positioned his older son, Manasseh, at Jacob’s right hand (to receive the greater, primary blessing) and Ephraim at Jacob’s left. However, Jacob crossed his arms—placing his right hand on the younger Ephraim and his left on Manasseh. Though Joseph protested, Jacob insisted that he knew exactly what he was doing and prophesied that Ephraim’s descendants would become a great multitude of nations.

The Tribe of Ephraim

Because of this blessing, the Tribe of Ephraim grew into one of the largest, most powerful, and most influential groups in Israel’s history:

• Prominent Leaders: Both the great military leader Joshua (who led the conquest of Canaan) and King Jeroboam I (the first king of the divided Northern Kingdom) descended from Ephraim.
• Heartland Territory: After the Israelites entered the Promised Land, the tribe of Ephraim was assigned a highly strategic and fertile territory in the central highlands, right in the heart of Israel.
• The Northern Kingdom: After the death of King Solomon, the nation of Israel split into two. The wealthy and powerful Northern Kingdom was often referred to simply as “Ephraim” in the prophetic writings because it was the most dominant tribe in the region.

Legacy and Conflict

Throughout their history, the tribe of Ephraim was known for their fierce pride, bravery, but occasionally, jealousy. In the eras of the Judges and early Kings, they occasionally engaged in bitter civil conflicts with other tribes, such as those in Gilead during the time of Jephthah.

Tragically, like the rest of the Northern Kingdom, the tribe of Ephraim eventually fell into idol worship, turning away from God. Because of this, God allowed the Assyrian Empire to conquer the Northern Kingdom and scatter the Ephraimites into exile around 722 BC.

Manasseh:

King Manasseh was the 14th king of Judah, reigning for 55 years (c. 687–642 BC). Crowned at just 12 years old, he is recorded in the Bible as Judah’s most wicked king. He reversed his father Hezekiah’s religious reforms, instituted child sacrifice, and promoted severe idolatry.

His life, detailed primarily in 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33, unfolded in three major stages:

1. Reign of Wickedness
Manasseh’s reign was marked by deep spiritual corruption. He rebuilt the pagan high places his father destroyed, erected altars for Baal and Asherah, and placed idols directly inside the Temple in Jerusalem. Furthermore, he practiced sorcery, consulted mediums, and sacrificed his own sons by fire. The Bible states he led Judah to do more evil than the surrounding pagan nations.

2. Babylonian Captivity
When Manasseh ignored repeated warnings from God’s prophets, God allowed the Assyrian army to invade Judah. The Assyrians captured Manasseh, bound him with bronze shackles, and dragged him away to Babylon.

3. Repentance and Restoration
Stripped of his power and in extreme distress, Manasseh humbled himself and earnestly prayed to God for forgiveness. God heard his plea and miraculously allowed him to return to his throne in Jerusalem. Following his rescue, Manasseh actively sought to undo his past mistakes. He removed the foreign idols from the Temple, repaired the altar of God, and commanded the people of Judah to serve the Lord.

Despite his sincere repentance and later reforms, the generational damage of his earlier sins was profound. After his death at age 65, his son Amon succeeded him to the throne.

以法蓮和瑪拿西，當時在以色列從夢中得到的信息，有一位被大大的祝福？那是以法蓮。那麼以法蓮須要什麼福氣？ 瑪拿西看來是知錯能改，就不用去祝福？

長子瑪拿西，生平是先敗壞後悔改。以法蓮是先興盛後腐敗，要拯救。

那麼以色列這祝福次序顛倒，本意何在，不是老糊塗？耶和華的心意，你會如何去理解？