創世記 49
1 雅各叫了他的兒子們來，說：「你們都來聚集，我好把你們日後必遇的事告訴你們。
Jacob summoned all his sons, and said to them,
2 雅各的兒子們，你們要聚集而聽， 要聽你們父親以色列的話。
“Gather around me in order that I can tell you what will happen in the future. My sons, come and listen to me. I am your father, [Jacob, whom God named] Israel.
3 呂便哪，你是我的長子， 是我力量強壯的時候生的， 本當大有尊榮，權力超眾。
Reuben, you are my oldest son. You were born when I was young and energetic/strong. You are prouder and stronger than all the rest of my sons.
4 但你放縱情慾，滾沸如水， 必不得居首位； 因為你上了你父親的床， 污穢了我的榻。
But you were as uncontrollable as a flood [SIM]. So now you will not be my most important son, because you climbed up onto my bed, and had sex with [MTY] my (concubine/slave who had become one of my wives). Your doing that caused me, your father, to have great shame.
5 西緬和利未是弟兄； 他們的刀劍是殘忍的器具。
Simeon and Levi, you have both acted like criminals. You use your swords to act violently.
6 我的靈啊，不要與他們同謀； 我的心哪，不要與他們聯絡； 因為他們趁怒殺害人命， 任意砍斷牛腿大筋。
I do not want to be with you when you make evil plans [DOU]. I do not want to join you in your meetings, because you killed people when you became very angry, and you (hamstrung/cut the tendons in the legs of) oxen just to (have fun/see them suffer).
7 他們的怒氣暴烈可咒； 他們的忿恨殘忍可詛。 我要使他們分居在雅各家裏， 散住在以色列地中。
God says, ‘I will (curse/cause bad things to happen to) them for being very angry, for acting very cruelly when they were very furious. I will scatter their descendants [MTY] throughout Israel land.’
8 猶大啊，你弟兄們必讚美你； 你手必掐住仇敵的頸項； 你父親的兒子們必向你下拜。
Judah, your [older and younger] brothers will praise you. They will bow down before you, because you will thoroughly defeat [MTY] your enemies.
9 猶大是個小獅子； 我兒啊，你抓了食便上去。 你屈下身去，臥如公獅， 蹲如母獅，誰敢惹你？
Judah is like a young lion [SIM] that has returned to its den satisfied after eating the animals that it has killed. He is like a lion that lies down and stretches out after eating; no one would dare to disturb it [RHQ].
10 圭必不離猶大， 杖必不離他兩腳之間， 直等細羅來到， 萬民都必歸順。
There will always be a ruler [MTY] from the descendants of Judah [MTY]. Each one will hold a scepter/staff to show that he has authority as a king. He will do that until the one to whom the scepter belongs comes, the one to whom the nations will bring tribute and show that they will obey him.
11 猶大把小驢拴在葡萄樹上， 把驢駒拴在美好的葡萄樹上。 他在葡萄酒中洗了衣服， 在葡萄汁中洗了袍褂。
The grapevines of Judah’s descendants will produce grapes very abundantly. As a result, they will not object to tying their young donkeys to the grapevines in order that the donkeys can eat the leaves of the grapevines. [Wine will be very plentiful, with the result that] they could wash their cloaks in wine that is as red as blood [MET].
12 他的眼睛必因酒紅潤； 他的牙齒必因奶白亮。
Their eyes will be red because of [drinking too much] wine, but their teeth will be very white because of drinking much milk [from the cows].
13 西布倫必住在海口， 必成為停船的海口； 他的境界必延到西頓。
Zebulun, your descendants will live by the seashore where there will be a safe harbor for ships. Their land will extend north as far as Sidon [city].
14 以薩迦是個強壯的驢， 臥在羊圈之中。
Issachar, your descendants will be like strong donkeys that are lying down on the ground between their loads, [so tired that they cannot get up]!
15 他以安靜為佳，以肥地為美， 便低肩背重，成為服苦的僕人。
They will see that their resting place is good, and that the land pleases them very much. But they will bend their backs to carry heavy loads and be forced to work for others.
16 但必判斷他的民， 作以色列支派之一。
Dan, although your tribe will be small, their leaders will rule their people just like the leaders of other tribes of Israel will rule their people.
17 但必作道上的蛇，路中的虺， 咬傷馬蹄，使騎馬的墜落於後。
Your descendants will be like snakes at the side of a road, like poisonous snakes lying beside a path. They will strike the heels of horses that pass by, causing the riders to fall backwards [as the horses rear up on their hind legs].”
18 耶和華啊，我向來等候你的救恩。
Then Jacob prayed, “Yahweh, I am waiting for you to rescue me [from my enemies].”
19 迦得必被敵軍追逼， 他卻要追逼他們的腳跟。
[Then Jacob continued telling his sons what would happen in the future. He said], “Gad, your tribe/descendants will be attacked by a group of bandits, but your tribe/descendants will pursue and attack them [MTY].
20 亞設之地必出肥美的糧食， 且出君王的美味。
Asher, your descendants will eat good-tasting food; they will produce food that is delicious enough for kings to eat.
21 拿弗他利是被釋放的母鹿； 他出嘉美的言語。
Naphtali, your descendants will be like deer [MET] that are (free to/not tied down and can) run wherever they wish. They will give birth to children who are good-looking like (fawns/baby deer) [MET].
22 約瑟是多結果子的樹枝， 是泉旁多結果的枝子； 他的枝條探出牆外。
Joseph, you will have many descendants [MET]. Their children will be as many as the fruit on a vine near a spring of water, whose branches extend over a wall.
23 弓箭手將他苦害， 向他射箭，逼迫他。
Their enemies will attack them fiercely, and shoot at them with bows and arrows and pursue them.
24 但他的弓仍舊堅硬； 他的手健壯敏捷。 這是因以色列的牧者，以色列的磐石－ 就是雅各的大能者。
But they will hold their bows steady and their arms will remain strong, because of the power [MTY] of my mighty God, because of Yahweh who guides and provides for me [MET] like a shepherd guides and provides for his sheep. The people of Israel will [ask Yahweh to protect them], [like people hide under] a huge [overhanging] to be protected.
25 你父親的上帝必幫助你； 那全能者必將天上所有的福， 地裏所藏的福，以及生產乳養的福，都賜給你。
God, the one whom I worship, will help your descendants. God Almighty will bless them by sending them rain from the sky and by giving them water from deep/far below the ground. He will give them many cattle and children [MET] (OR, and their cattle will have many offspring).
26 你父親所祝的福 勝過我祖先所祝的福， 如永世的山嶺，至極的邊界； 這些福必降在約瑟的頭上， 臨到那與弟兄迥別之人的頂上。
The blessings that I want God to give you are great ones. They are greater than the blessings that come from the eternal mountains, greater than the ones that come from the everlasting hills. Joseph, I pray that these blessings will (be given to you/come upon your head), because you are the leader of your [older] brothers [and younger brother].
27 便雅憫是個撕掠的狼， 早晨要吃他所抓的， 晚上要分他所奪的。」
Benjamin, your descendants will be like [MET] vicious/fierce wolves: In the morning they will kill their enemies like a wolf devours (its prey/the animals that it has killed), and in the evening they will divide among their warriors the spoils that they seized from their enemies.”
28 這一切是以色列的十二支派；這也是他們的父親對他們所說的話，為他們所祝的福，都是按着各人的福分為他們祝福。
Those twelve sons are the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. That is what their father said to them as he blessed them, telling to each one words that were appropriate for him.
29 他又囑咐他們說：「我將要歸到我列祖那裏，你們要將我葬在赫人以弗崙田間的洞裏，與我祖我父在一處，
Then Jacob said to his sons, “I will soon die. Bury my body where some of my ancestors are buried, in the cave that is in the field that was bought from Ephron, who belonged to the Heth people-group.
30 就是在迦南地幔利前、麥比拉田間的洞；那洞和田是亞伯拉罕向赫人以弗崙買來為業，作墳地的。
That field is in the Machpelah area, east of Mamre [town], in Canaan. My grandfather Abraham bought it from Ephron to use as a burial place.
31 他們在那裏葬了亞伯拉罕和他妻子撒拉，又在那裏葬了以撒和他的妻子利百加；我也在那裏葬了利亞。
That is where they buried him and his wife Sarah. That is where they buried my father Isaac and his wife Rebekah. And that is where I buried my wife Leah.
32 那塊田和田間的洞原是向赫人買的。」
That field and the cave in it were bought from the Heth people-group; so that is where I want you to bury me.”
33 雅各囑咐眾子已畢，就把腳收在床上，氣絕而死，歸他列祖那裏去了。
When Jacob finished giving those instructions to his sons, he lay down on his bed again. Then he died [IDM].
