UDutheronomi 33
1 Lesi yiso isibusiso esethulwa nguMosi umuntu kaNkulunkulu kwabako-Israyeli engakafi.
And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses, the man of God, blessed 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.
And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them: he shone forth from mount Paran, and he came from among myriads of saints; from his right hand he gave a fiery law unto them.
3 Ngempela nguwe othanda abantu, bonke abangcwele basezandleni zakho. Ezinyaweni zakho bayakhothama bonke bamukele iziqondiso ezivela kuwe,
Yea, thou also lovedst the tribes; all their saints were in thy hand; and they, prostrate before thy feet, received thy words.
4 umthetho esawuphiwa nguMosi, inotho yebandla likaJakhobe.
“The law which Moses commanded us, is the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.”
5 Wayeyinkosi phezu kukaJeshuruni lapho abakhokheli babantu bebuthene, ndawonye lezizwana zako-Israyeli.
Thus became he king in Yeshurun, when the heads of the people were assembled, as one the tribes of Israel.
6 Kaphile uRubheni njalo angafi, abesilisa bakhe bangaphunguki babebalutshwana.”
May Reuben live, and not die; and may not his men be few.
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, and he said, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let the power of his hands contend for him; and be thou a help to him from his adversaries.
8 NgoLevi wathi: “IThumimi kanye le-Urimi yakho ngokwayo inceku yakho ethembekileyo. Wamhlola eMasa; waba laye emachibini aseMeribha.
And of Levi he said, Thy Thummim and thy Urim are with thy holy man, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive 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 and of his mother, I have not seen him; and who did not acknowledge his brothers, nor regarded his own children; for they observe thy word, and thy covenant they keep.
10 Ufundisa amanyathelo akho kuJakhobe lomthetho wakho ku-Israyeli. Unikela ngempepha phambi kwakho langeminikelo egcweleyo yokutshiswa e-alithareni.
They shall teach thy ordinances unto Jacob, and thy law unto Israel: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt-sacrifice upon thy altar.
11 Busisa bonke ubuciko bakhe, Thixo, ujabule ngomsebenzi wezandla zakhe. Babhubhise labo abamvukelayo; zitshaye izitha zakhe zingaphindi zimvukele.”
Bless, O Lord, his substance, and receive favorably the work of his hands: crush the loins of those that rise up against him, and those that hate him, that they cannot rise 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, The beloved of the Lord [is he], he shall dwell in safety by him: he will shield him all the day long, and between his shoulders will he dwell.
13 NgoJosefa wathi: “Sengathi uThixo angabusisa umhlaba wakhe ngamazolo aligugu avela phezulu ezulwini langamanzi ajulileyo ageleza ngaphansi;
And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, through the precious gift of heaven, through the dew, and through the deep that coucheth beneath,
14 langobuhle obuyingqala obulethwa lilanga kanye lokucoleka okungalethwa yinyanga;
And through the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and through the precious things put forth by the moon,
15 lezipho zekhethelo zasezintabeni zendulo lokuthela kwezithelo zamaqaqa emi nini lanini;
And through the best things of the ancient mountains, and through the precious things 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 through the precious things of the earth and its fulness, and through the goodwill of him that dwelt in the thorn-bush: may this blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of him that was separated from 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 first-born steer is adorned with glory, and his horns are like the horns of reem; with them shall he push nations together to the ends of the earth: and they are the myriads of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Menasseh.
18 NgoZebhuluni wathi: “Jabula, Zebhuluni, ekuphumeni kwakho, lawe wena, Isakhari, emathenteni akho.
And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
19 Bazabizela abantu ezintabeni khonale banikele imihlatshelo yabo yokulunga; bazakudla baminze ngobunengi bokusolwandle ngawo amagugu afihlakele etshebetshebeni.”
They will call the tribes unto the mountain; there will they offer sacrifices of righteousness; for they will suck the abundance of the seas, and the treasures hid in the sand.
20 NgoGadi wathi: “Ubusisiwe lowo oqhelisa umbuso kaGadi! UGadi uhlala khona njengesilwane, edlithiza engalweni loba ekhanda.
And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: like a lioness lieth he down, and teareth off the arm with 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.”
And he provided the first part for himself, because there is the field of the law-giver, of the hidden; and he went forth at the head of the people: he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel.
22 NgoDani wathi: “UDani ngumdlwane wesilwane, otshakala uphuma eBhashani.”
And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp, that leapeth forth 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, satisfied with favor, and full of the blessing of the Lord, take thou possession of the west and the south.
24 Ngo-Asheri wathi: “Obusisiweyo kakhulu kulawo wonke amadodana ngu-Asheri; ababelozwelo kuye abafowabo, myekeleni ageze inyawo zakhe emafutheni.
And of Asher he said, More than [all] the children be Asher blessed: he shall be the most favored of his brethren, and bathe his foot in oil.
25 Amabhawudo emasangweni akho azakuba ngawensimbi lethusi njalo amandla akho azalingana insuku zakho.
Iron and copper shall be thy bolts; and as thy [younger] days so shall thy old age be.
26 Kakho ofana loNkulunkulu kaJeshuruni, ophezulu emazulwini ukuze akuncede kanti njalo lasemayezini ngobukhosi bakhe.
There is none like unto the God of Yeshurun, who rideth to help thee upon the heavens, and in his excellency upon the skies.
27 UNkulunkulu ongusimakade uyisiphephelo sakho, njalo ngaphansi kuzingalo ezingelakuphela. Uzazixotsha izitha phambi kwakho esithi, ‘Mbulale!’
Thy refuge is the eternal God, and here beneath, the everlasting arms; and he thrust out the enemy from before thee; and he said, Destroy.
28 Ngakho u-Israyeli uzaphila yedwa evikelekile, umthombo kaJakhobe uvikelekile, elizweni lamabele kanye lewayini elitsha, lapho amazulu phezulu akhithizela khona amazolo.
And then dwelt Israel in safety, alone, the fountain of Jacob; in a land of corn and wine; also its heavens shall drop down 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.”
Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee, O people, saved by the Lord, the Shield of thy help, and who is the Sword of thy excellency! and thy enemies shall fawn upon thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high-places.
