Deuteronomy 33
1 Before God’s prophet Moses died, he [asked God to] bless the Israeli people.
Lesi yiso isibusiso esethulwa nguMosi umuntu kaNkulunkulu kwabako-Israyeli engakafi.
2 This is what he said: “Yahweh came [and spoke] to us at Sinai [Mountain]; he [came like] [MET] the sun rises in the Edom [region] and like his light shone on us when we were [in the desert] near Paran Mountain [after we left Sinai Mountain]. He came with 10,000 angels, and there was a flaming fire at his right side.
Wathi: “UThixo wehla evela eSinayi njalo wakhazimula kubo ngaseSeyiri; wakhanyisa njalo kusiya eNtabeni yasePharani. Wabuya labazinkulungwane ezilitshumi zabangcwele bevelela eningizimu, emehlweni ezintaba zakhe.
3 Yahweh truly loves his people, and protects [MTY] all those who belong to him. So they prostrate themselves in front of him, and they listen to his instructions.
Ngempela nguwe othanda abantu, bonke abangcwele basezandleni zakho. Ezinyaweni zakho bayakhothama bonke bamukele iziqondiso ezivela kuwe,
4 I gave them laws to obey, laws that would be the most precious thing that [the descendants of] Jacob owned.
umthetho esawuphiwa nguMosi, inotho yebandla likaJakhobe.
5 So Yahweh became the king of his Israeli people when all the tribes and their leaders were gathered together.
Wayeyinkosi phezu kukaJeshuruni lapho abakhokheli babantu bebuthene, ndawonye lezizwana zako-Israyeli.
6 [I say this about the tribe of] Reuben: I desire/hope that their tribe will never disappear, but they will never become numerous.
Kaphile uRubheni njalo angafi, abesilisa bakhe bangaphunguki babebalutshwana.”
7 “say this about [the tribe of] Judah: Yahweh, listen to them when they call out [for help]; and unite them with the other tribes again. Fight for them, and help them to fight against their enemies.
Lokhu wakutsho ngoJuda: “Zwana, wena Thixo wami, ukukhala kukaJuda; mlethe ebantwini bakhe. Ngezandla zakhe uvikela lokho akumeleyo. Yebo, msize amelane lezitha zakhe!”
8 I say this about [the tribe of] Levi: Yahweh, give to those who are dedicated to you the sacred stones [that they will use to find out what you want to be done]; You tested them at a spring in the desert, a spring that they named Massah and also named Meribah [to find out if they would (remain loyal to/continue to obey) you].
NgoLevi wathi: “IThumimi kanye le-Urimi yakho ngokwayo inceku yakho ethembekileyo. Wamhlola eMasa; waba laye emachibini aseMeribha.
9 The tribe of Levi did what you told them to do and obeyed the agreement that you [made with the Israeli people]; those laws were more important to them [HYP] than their siblings and parents and children.
Wathi ngoyise lonina, ‘Angilandaba labo mina.’ Kazange akwamukele ukuthi ulabafowabo njalo kazange ananze abantwabakhe, kodwa walilondoloza ilizwi lakho wasigcina isivumelwano sakho.
10 The tribe of Levi will teach the Israeli people [DOU] your rules and regulations, and they are the ones who will burn incense and who will completely burn on the altar the offerings [that the people bring].
Ufundisa amanyathelo akho kuJakhobe lomthetho wakho ku-Israyeli. Unikela ngempepha phambi kwakho langeminikelo egcweleyo yokutshiswa e-alithareni.
11 Yahweh, bless their work and (accept/be pleased with) all that they do. Crush/Destroy all their enemies; do not enable their enemies to be able to fight against them again.
Busisa bonke ubuciko bakhe, Thixo, ujabule ngomsebenzi wezandla zakhe. Babhubhise labo abamvukelayo; zitshaye izitha zakhe zingaphindi zimvukele.”
12 I say this about [the tribe of] Benjamin: They are the tribe that Yahweh loves; he keeps them safe. He protects them continually, and he lives among their hills [MET].
NgoBhenjamini wathi: “Yekelani othandekayo kaThixo aphumule kuye evikelekile, ngoba umvikela ilanga lonke, kanti njalo lowo uThixo amthandayo uphumula emahlombe akhe.”
13 “say this about [the tribes of] Joseph: I desire/hope that Yahweh will bless their land by giving them rain/dew from the sky and water from deep [in the ground],
NgoJosefa wathi: “Sengathi uThixo angabusisa umhlaba wakhe ngamazolo aligugu avela phezulu ezulwini langamanzi ajulileyo ageleza ngaphansi;
14 by giving them good fruit [ripened] by the sun and good crops at harvest time.
langobuhle obuyingqala obulethwa lilanga kanye lokucoleka okungalethwa yinyanga;
15 I desire/hope that very nice fruit will grow on trees in their ancient mountains/hills [DOU],
lezipho zekhethelo zasezintabeni zendulo lokuthela kwezithelo zamaqaqa emi nini lanini;
16 and that their land will be have many good crops, blessed by [Yahweh], the one who appeared to me in a burning bush. I desire/hope that Yahweh will bless the tribes of Joseph in all those ways, because he was the leaders of his [older] brothers [when they were in Egypt].
langezipho eziyingqala zomhlaba lokugcwala kwawo lozwelo lwakhe yena owayesesixukwini esivuthayo. Konke lokhu akube sekhanda likaJosefa, ebunzini lobuso benkosana phakathi kwabafowabo.
17 The descendants of Joseph will be as strong as [SIM] a bull; [with their weapons they will wound their enemies, like] [MET] a wild ox [gores other animals] with its horns. They will force other people-groups, all of them, to be exiled to the most distant places on the earth. That is what [the descendants of the two sons of Joseph] will do, the ten thousands [of the tribe] of Ephraim and the thousands [of the tribe] of Manasseh.
Ebukhosini unjengenkunzi encane elizibulo; impondo zakhe zinjengezenyathi. Ngazo uzagweba abhuqe izizwe, aze agwebe lalezo ezisemaphethelweni omhlaba. Banjalo abezinkulungwane zamatshumi baka-Efrayimi; banjalo abezinkulungwane zikaManase.”
18 “say this about [the tribes of] Zebulun [and Issachar]: I desire/hope that the people of Zebulun will prosper in their travels [across the seas], and that the people of Issachar will prosper while they stay at home [and take care of their cattle and crops].
NgoZebhuluni wathi: “Jabula, Zebhuluni, ekuphumeni kwakho, lawe wena, Isakhari, emathenteni akho.
19 They will invite people [from the other Israeli tribes] to the mountain [where they worship Yahweh], and they will offer the correct/proper sacrifices to him. They will become rich from [the work that they do on] the seas and from [the things that they make from] (OR, [find in]) the sand [on the beaches].
Bazabizela abantu ezintabeni khonale banikele imihlatshelo yabo yokulunga; bazakudla baminze ngobunengi bokusolwandle ngawo amagugu afihlakele etshebetshebeni.”
20 “say this about [the tribe of] Gad: Praise [Yahweh], the one who made their [territory] large. The people of their tribe [will attack their enemies fiercely] [SIM] like a lion that crouches, waiting to tear off the arm or the scalp [of some animal].
NgoGadi wathi: “Ubusisiwe lowo oqhelisa umbuso kaGadi! UGadi uhlala khona njengesilwane, edlithiza engalweni loba ekhanda.
21 They chose the best part of the land for themselves; [a large share of the land], a share that should be given to a leader was allotted to them. When the leaders of the tribes of Israel [gathered together], they decided that the tribe of Gad should have a large share of the land. The tribe of Gad obeyed the commands of Yahweh and the things that he decided that they should do.
Wazikhethela umhlaba omuhle okwamagama waba ngowakhe; isabelo somkhokheli sagcinelwa yena. Kwathi ekuhlanganeni kwabakhokheli babantu, wakwenza lokho okufunwa nguThixo olungileyo, kanye lokwahlulela kwakhe kwabako-Israyeli.”
22 “say this about [the tribe] of Dan: The people of the tribe of Dan are like [SIM] a young lion; they leap from [their caves in the] Bashan [region to attack their enemies].
NgoDani wathi: “UDani ngumdlwane wesilwane, otshakala uphuma eBhashani.”
23 “say this about [the tribe of] Naphtali: [The people of the tribe of] Naphtali have been blessed by Yahweh, who has been very kind to them; their land extends far south from Lake [Galilee].
NgoNafithali wathi: “UNafithali uyaphuphuma ngozwelo lukaThixo njalo ugcwele izibusiso zakhe; elakhe ilifa uzazuza kusiya eningizimu ngechibini.”
24 “say this about [the tribe of] Asher: May Yahweh bless the descendants of Asher more than he will bless the other tribes. May he favor Asher’s descendants most of all. I desire/hope that their land will [be filled with olive trees that will] produce a lot of [IDM] [olives to make olive] oil.
Ngo-Asheri wathi: “Obusisiweyo kakhulu kulawo wonke amadodana ngu-Asheri; ababelozwelo kuye abafowabo, myekeleni ageze inyawo zakhe emafutheni.
25 Their [towns will be protected by high walls with gates that have] bronze and iron bars; I desire/hope that they will be strong and secure/protected all the time that they are alive.
Amabhawudo emasangweni akho azakuba ngawensimbi lethusi njalo amandla akho azalingana insuku zakho.
26 “You people of Israel, there is no god like your God, who rides majestically across the sky to help you.
Kakho ofana loNkulunkulu kaJeshuruni, ophezulu emazulwini ukuze akuncede kanti njalo lasemayezini ngobukhosi bakhe.
27 God, who lives forever, is the one who (gives you refuge/protects you); [it is as though] he puts his everlasting arms under you [to support you]. He will expel your enemies while you advance; he has told you to destroy all of them.
UNkulunkulu ongusimakade uyisiphephelo sakho, njalo ngaphansi kuzingalo ezingelakuphela. Uzazixotsha izitha phambi kwakho esithi, ‘Mbulale!’
28 So, you Israeli people will live safely; you descendants of Jacob will not be disturbed by others; in the land where [you will live], there will be plenty of grain and wine, and there will be plenty of rain.
Ngakho u-Israyeli uzaphila yedwa evikelekile, umthombo kaJakhobe uvikelekile, elizweni lamabele kanye lewayini elitsha, lapho amazulu phezulu akhithizela khona amazolo.
29 You people of Israel, Yahweh (has blessed/is pleased with) you. There is certainly [RHQ] no nation like your nation, whom Yahweh has rescued [from being slaves in Egypt]. [He will be like] [MET] a shield to protect you and like [MET] a sword to enable you to defeat [your enemies]. Your enemies will come to you begging for you [to act mercifully toward them], but you will trample on their backs/necks.”
Ubusisiwe wena, Oh Israyeli! Ngubani onjengawe, abantu abahlengwa nguThixo? Ulihawu lakho lomsizi wakho njalo uyinkemba yakho ekhazimulayo. Izitha zakho zizatshotshobala phambi kwakho njalo uzazinyathela phansi zonke izindawo zabo zokukhonza eziphakemeyo.”
