UDutheronomi 33
1 Lesi yiso isibusiso esethulwa nguMosi umuntu kaNkulunkulu kwabako-Israyeli engakafi.
Now this is the blessing which Moses, the man of God, gave to the children of Israel before his death.
2 Wathi: “UThixo wehla evela eSinayi njalo wakhazimula kubo ngaseSeyiri; wakhanyisa njalo kusiya eNtabeni yasePharani. Wabuya labazinkulungwane ezilitshumi zabangcwele bevelela eningizimu, emehlweni ezintaba zakhe.
He said, The Lord came from Sinai, dawning on them from Seir; shining out from Mount Paran, coming from Meribath Kadesh: from his right hand went flames of fire: his wrath made waste the peoples.
3 Ngempela nguwe othanda abantu, bonke abangcwele basezandleni zakho. Ezinyaweni zakho bayakhothama bonke bamukele iziqondiso ezivela kuwe,
All his holy ones are at his hand; they go at his feet; they are lifted up on his wings.
4 umthetho esawuphiwa nguMosi, inotho yebandla likaJakhobe.
Moses gave us a law, a heritage for the people of Jacob.
5 Wayeyinkosi phezu kukaJeshuruni lapho abakhokheli babantu bebuthene, ndawonye lezizwana zako-Israyeli.
And there was a king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel came together.
6 Kaphile uRubheni njalo angafi, abesilisa bakhe bangaphunguki babebalutshwana.”
Let life not death be Reuben's, let not the number of his men be small.
7 Lokhu wakutsho ngoJuda: “Zwana, wena Thixo wami, ukukhala kukaJuda; mlethe ebantwini bakhe. Ngezandla zakhe uvikela lokho akumeleyo. Yebo, msize amelane lezitha zakhe!”
And this is the blessing of Judah: he said, Give ear, O Lord, to the voice of Judah and make him one with his people: let your hands take up his cause, and be his help against his attackers.
8 NgoLevi wathi: “IThumimi kanye le-Urimi yakho ngokwayo inceku yakho ethembekileyo. Wamhlola eMasa; waba laye emachibini aseMeribha.
And of Levi he said, Give your Thummim to Levi and let the Urim be with your loved one, whom you put to the test at Massah, with whom you were angry at the waters of Meribah;
9 Wathi ngoyise lonina, ‘Angilandaba labo mina.’ Kazange akwamukele ukuthi ulabafowabo njalo kazange ananze abantwabakhe, kodwa walilondoloza ilizwi lakho wasigcina isivumelwano sakho.
Who said of his father, Who is he? and of his mother, I have not seen her; he kept himself separate from his brothers and had no knowledge of his children: for they have given ear to your word and kept your agreement.
10 Ufundisa amanyathelo akho kuJakhobe lomthetho wakho ku-Israyeli. Unikela ngempepha phambi kwakho langeminikelo egcweleyo yokutshiswa e-alithareni.
They will be the teachers of your decisions to Jacob and of your law to Israel: the burning of perfumes before you will be their right, and the ordering of burned offerings on your altar.
11 Busisa bonke ubuciko bakhe, Thixo, ujabule ngomsebenzi wezandla zakhe. Babhubhise labo abamvukelayo; zitshaye izitha zakhe zingaphindi zimvukele.”
Let your blessing, O Lord, be on his substance, may the work of his hands be pleasing to you: may those who take up arms against him and all who have hate for him, be wounded through the heart, never to be lifted up again.
12 NgoBhenjamini wathi: “Yekelani othandekayo kaThixo aphumule kuye evikelekile, ngoba umvikela ilanga lonke, kanti njalo lowo uThixo amthandayo uphumula emahlombe akhe.”
And of Benjamin he said, Benjamin is the loved one of the Lord, he will be kept safe at all times; he will be covered by the Most High, resting between his arms.
13 NgoJosefa wathi: “Sengathi uThixo angabusisa umhlaba wakhe ngamazolo aligugu avela phezulu ezulwini langamanzi ajulileyo ageleza ngaphansi;
And of Joseph he said, Let the blessing of the Lord be on his land; for the good things of heaven on high, and the deep waters flowing under the earth,
14 langobuhle obuyingqala obulethwa lilanga kanye lokucoleka okungalethwa yinyanga;
And the good things of the fruits of the sun, and the good things of the growth of the moons,
15 lezipho zekhethelo zasezintabeni zendulo lokuthela kwezithelo zamaqaqa emi nini lanini;
And the chief things of the oldest mountains, and the good things of the eternal hills,
16 langezipho eziyingqala zomhlaba lokugcwala kwawo lozwelo lwakhe yena owayesesixukwini esivuthayo. Konke lokhu akube sekhanda likaJosefa, ebunzini lobuso benkosana phakathi kwabafowabo.
The good things of the earth and all its wealth, the good pleasure of him who was seen in the burning tree: may they come on the head of Joseph, on the head of him who was prince among his brothers.
17 Ebukhosini unjengenkunzi encane elizibulo; impondo zakhe zinjengezenyathi. Ngazo uzagweba abhuqe izizwe, aze agwebe lalezo ezisemaphethelweni omhlaba. Banjalo abezinkulungwane zamatshumi baka-Efrayimi; banjalo abezinkulungwane zikaManase.”
He is a young ox, glory is his; his horns are the horns of the mountain ox, with which all peoples will be wounded, even to the ends of the earth: they are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.
18 NgoZebhuluni wathi: “Jabula, Zebhuluni, ekuphumeni kwakho, lawe wena, Isakhari, emathenteni akho.
And of Zebulun he said, Be glad, Zebulun, in your going out; and, Issachar, in your tents.
19 Bazabizela abantu ezintabeni khonale banikele imihlatshelo yabo yokulunga; bazakudla baminze ngobunengi bokusolwandle ngawo amagugu afihlakele etshebetshebeni.”
They will send out the word for the people to come to the mountain, taking there the offerings of righteousness: for the store of the seas will be theirs, and the secret wealth of the sand.
20 NgoGadi wathi: “Ubusisiwe lowo oqhelisa umbuso kaGadi! UGadi uhlala khona njengesilwane, edlithiza engalweni loba ekhanda.
Of Gad he said, A blessing be on him who makes wide the limits of Gad: he takes his rest like a she-lion, taking for himself the arm and the crown of the head.
21 Wazikhethela umhlaba omuhle okwamagama waba ngowakhe; isabelo somkhokheli sagcinelwa yena. Kwathi ekuhlanganeni kwabakhokheli babantu, wakwenza lokho okufunwa nguThixo olungileyo, kanye lokwahlulela kwakhe kwabako-Israyeli.”
He kept for himself the first part, for his was the ruler's right: he put in force the righteousness of the Lord, and his decisions for Israel.
22 NgoDani wathi: “UDani ngumdlwane wesilwane, otshakala uphuma eBhashani.”
And of Dan he said, Dan is a young lion, springing out from Bashan.
23 NgoNafithali wathi: “UNafithali uyaphuphuma ngozwelo lukaThixo njalo ugcwele izibusiso zakhe; elakhe ilifa uzazuza kusiya eningizimu ngechibini.”
And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, made glad with grace and full of the blessing of the Lord: the sea and its fishes will be his.
24 Ngo-Asheri wathi: “Obusisiweyo kakhulu kulawo wonke amadodana ngu-Asheri; ababelozwelo kuye abafowabo, myekeleni ageze inyawo zakhe emafutheni.
And of Asher he said, Let Asher have the blessing of children; may he be pleasing to his brothers, and let his foot be wet with oil.
25 Amabhawudo emasangweni akho azakuba ngawensimbi lethusi njalo amandla akho azalingana insuku zakho.
Your shoes will be iron and brass; and as your days, so may your work be.
26 Kakho ofana loNkulunkulu kaJeshuruni, ophezulu emazulwini ukuze akuncede kanti njalo lasemayezini ngobukhosi bakhe.
No other is like the God of Jeshurun, coming on the heavens to your help, and letting his glory be seen in the skies.
27 UNkulunkulu ongusimakade uyisiphephelo sakho, njalo ngaphansi kuzingalo ezingelakuphela. Uzazixotsha izitha phambi kwakho esithi, ‘Mbulale!’
The God of your fathers is your safe resting-place, and under you are his eternal arms: driving out the forces of your haters from before you, he said, Let destruction overtake them.
28 Ngakho u-Israyeli uzaphila yedwa evikelekile, umthombo kaJakhobe uvikelekile, elizweni lamabele kanye lewayini elitsha, lapho amazulu phezulu akhithizela khona amazolo.
And Israel is living in peace, the fountain of Jacob by himself, in a land of grain and wine, with dew dropping from the heavens.
29 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.”
Happy are you, O Israel: who is like you, a people whose saviour is the Lord, whose help is your cover, whose sword is your strength! All those who are against you will put themselves under your rule, and your feet will be planted on their high places.
