UDutheronomi 33
1 Lesi yiso isibusiso esethulwa nguMosi umuntu kaNkulunkulu kwabako-Israyeli engakafi.
This is the blessing, with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the sons 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.
And he said: “The Lord went forth from Sinai, and he arose for us from Seir. He appeared from Mount Paran, and thousands of holy ones were with him. The fiery law was in his right hand.
3 Ngempela nguwe othanda abantu, bonke abangcwele basezandleni zakho. Ezinyaweni zakho bayakhothama bonke bamukele iziqondiso ezivela kuwe,
He loved the people; all the holy ones are in his hand. And those who approach his feet shall receive from his doctrine.
4 umthetho esawuphiwa nguMosi, inotho yebandla likaJakhobe.
Moses instructed us in the law, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob.
5 Wayeyinkosi phezu kukaJeshuruni lapho abakhokheli babantu bebuthene, ndawonye lezizwana zako-Israyeli.
The king shall have great righteousness, at the gathering of the princes of the people with the tribes of Israel.
6 Kaphile uRubheni njalo angafi, abesilisa bakhe bangaphunguki babebalutshwana.”
Let Ruben live, and not die, and may he be small in number.”
7 Lokhu wakutsho ngoJuda: “Zwana, wena Thixo wami, ukukhala kukaJuda; mlethe ebantwini bakhe. Ngezandla zakhe uvikela lokho akumeleyo. Yebo, msize amelane lezitha zakhe!”
This is the blessing of Judah. “Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and lead him to his people. His hands shall fight for him, and he shall be his helper against his adversaries.”
8 NgoLevi wathi: “IThumimi kanye le-Urimi yakho ngokwayo inceku yakho ethembekileyo. Wamhlola eMasa; waba laye emachibini aseMeribha.
Likewise, to Levi he said: “Your perfection and your doctrine are for your holy man, whom you have proven by temptation, and whom you have judged at the Waters of Contradiction.
9 Wathi ngoyise lonina, ‘Angilandaba labo mina.’ Kazange akwamukele ukuthi ulabafowabo njalo kazange ananze abantwabakhe, kodwa walilondoloza ilizwi lakho wasigcina isivumelwano sakho.
He has said to his father and to his mother, ‘I do not know you,’ and to his brothers, ‘I will disregard you.’ And they have not known their own sons. Such as these have kept your word and have observed your covenant:
10 Ufundisa amanyathelo akho kuJakhobe lomthetho wakho ku-Israyeli. Unikela ngempepha phambi kwakho langeminikelo egcweleyo yokutshiswa e-alithareni.
your judgments, O Jacob, and your law, O Israel. They shall place incense before your fury and a holocaust upon your altar.
11 Busisa bonke ubuciko bakhe, Thixo, ujabule ngomsebenzi wezandla zakhe. Babhubhise labo abamvukelayo; zitshaye izitha zakhe zingaphindi zimvukele.”
O Lord, bless his strength, and receive the works of his hands. Strike the backs of his enemies, and do not let those who hate him rise up.”
12 NgoBhenjamini wathi: “Yekelani othandekayo kaThixo aphumule kuye evikelekile, ngoba umvikela ilanga lonke, kanti njalo lowo uThixo amthandayo uphumula emahlombe akhe.”
And to Benjamin he said: “The most beloved of the Lord will live confidently in him. He shall remain all day long, as if in a bridal chamber, and he shall rest amid her arms.”
13 NgoJosefa wathi: “Sengathi uThixo angabusisa umhlaba wakhe ngamazolo aligugu avela phezulu ezulwini langamanzi ajulileyo ageleza ngaphansi;
Likewise, to Joseph he said: “His land shall be from the blessing of the Lord, from the fruits of heaven, and from the dew, and from the abyss which lies below,
14 langobuhle obuyingqala obulethwa lilanga kanye lokucoleka okungalethwa yinyanga;
from the fruits of the crops under the sun and the moon,
15 lezipho zekhethelo zasezintabeni zendulo lokuthela kwezithelo zamaqaqa emi nini lanini;
from the heights of the ancient mountains, from the fruits of the everlasting hills,
16 langezipho eziyingqala zomhlaba lokugcwala kwawo lozwelo lwakhe yena owayesesixukwini esivuthayo. Konke lokhu akube sekhanda likaJosefa, ebunzini lobuso benkosana phakathi kwabafowabo.
and from the fruits of the earth with all its plenitude. May the blessing of him who appeared in the bush, settle upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of the Nazarite 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.”
His excellence is like that of a first-born bull. His horns are like the horns of a rhinoceros; he shall brandish these against the Gentiles, even to the ends of the earth. These are the multitudes of Ephraim, and these the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 NgoZebhuluni wathi: “Jabula, Zebhuluni, ekuphumeni kwakho, lawe wena, Isakhari, emathenteni akho.
And to Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, O Zebulun, in your departure, and Issachar, in your tabernacles.
19 Bazabizela abantu ezintabeni khonale banikele imihlatshelo yabo yokulunga; bazakudla baminze ngobunengi bokusolwandle ngawo amagugu afihlakele etshebetshebeni.”
They shall summon the peoples to the mountain. There, they shall immolate the victims of justice, who feed on the flood of the sea, as if on milk, and on the hidden treasures of the sands.”
20 NgoGadi wathi: “Ubusisiwe lowo oqhelisa umbuso kaGadi! UGadi uhlala khona njengesilwane, edlithiza engalweni loba ekhanda.
And to Gad he said: “Blessed is Gad in his breadth. He has rested like a lion, and he has seized the arm and the top 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.”
And he has seen his own pre-eminence, which his teacher has stored up as his portion. He was with the princes of the people, and he accomplished the justices of the Lord, and his judgment with Israel.”
22 NgoDani wathi: “UDani ngumdlwane wesilwane, otshakala uphuma eBhashani.”
Likewise, to Dan he said: “Dan is a young lion. He shall flow plentifully from Bashan.”
23 NgoNafithali wathi: “UNafithali uyaphuphuma ngozwelo lukaThixo njalo ugcwele izibusiso zakhe; elakhe ilifa uzazuza kusiya eningizimu ngechibini.”
And to Naphtali he said: “Naphtali shall enjoy abundance, and he shall be full of the blessings of the Lord. He shall possess the sea and the Meridian.”
24 Ngo-Asheri wathi: “Obusisiweyo kakhulu kulawo wonke amadodana ngu-Asheri; ababelozwelo kuye abafowabo, myekeleni ageze inyawo zakhe emafutheni.
Likewise, to Asher he said: “Let Asher be blessed with sons. Let him be pleasing to his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Amabhawudo emasangweni akho azakuba ngawensimbi lethusi njalo amandla akho azalingana insuku zakho.
His shoe shall be of iron and of brass. As were the days of your youth, so also shall be your old age.
26 Kakho ofana loNkulunkulu kaJeshuruni, ophezulu emazulwini ukuze akuncede kanti njalo lasemayezini ngobukhosi bakhe.
There is no other god like the God of the most righteous one. He who rides upon the heavens is your helper. His magnificence scatters the clouds.
27 UNkulunkulu ongusimakade uyisiphephelo sakho, njalo ngaphansi kuzingalo ezingelakuphela. Uzazixotsha izitha phambi kwakho esithi, ‘Mbulale!’
His habitation is above, and the everlasting arms are below. He shall cast out the enemy before your face, and he shall say: ‘Be utterly broken!’
28 Ngakho u-Israyeli uzaphila yedwa evikelekile, umthombo kaJakhobe uvikelekile, elizweni lamabele kanye lewayini elitsha, lapho amazulu phezulu akhithizela khona amazolo.
Israel shall live in confidence and alone, as the eye of Jacob in a land of grain and of wine; and the heavens shall be misty with dew.
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.”
Blessed are you, O Israel. Who is like you, the people who are saved by the Lord? He is the shield of your assistance and the sword of your glory. Your enemies will refuse to acknowledge you, and so you shall tread upon their necks.”
