UGenesisi 49
1 UJakhobe wabiza amadodana akhe wathi: “Sondelani eduze ngilitshele lokho okuzakwenzakala kini ensukwini ezizayo.
And Jacob called his sons, and said to them: Gather yourselves together that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days.
2 Buthanani lilalele, madodana kaJakhobe, lalelani kuyihlo u-Israyeli.
Gather yourselves together, and hear, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken to Israel your father:
3 URubheni, ulizibulo lami, amandla ami, isibonakaliso sokuqala samandla ami, ukuphelela ngodumo, ukuphelela ngamandla.
Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my sorrow: excelling in gifts, greater in command.
4 Uhlokoma njengamanzi, kawusayikuba liciko, ngoba wakhwela embhedeni kayihlo, waya phezu kwesihlalo sami wasingcolisa.
Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not: because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed, and didst defile his couch.
5 USimiyoni loLevi bayizelamani inkemba zabo yizikhali zodlakela.
Simeon and Levi brethren: vessels of iniquity, waging war.
6 Mangingangeni enkundleni yabo, mangingangeni emhlanganweni wabo, ngoba bababulala abantu ngokuthukuthela kwabo njalo inkabi baziquma imisipha santando.
Let not my soul go into their counsel, nor my glory be in their assembly: because in their fury they slew a man, and in their selfwill they undermined a wall.
7 Luqalekisiwe ulaka lwabo, lwesabeka kubi, lentukuthelo yabo, ilesihluku esibi! Ngizakubachithiza kuJakhobe, njalo ngibahlakaze ko-Israyeli.
Cursed be their fury, because it was stubborn: and their wrath because it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel.
8 Juda, abafowenu bazakudumisa; isandla sakho sizakuba sentanyeni yezitha zakho; amadodana kayihlo azakukhothamela.
Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hands shall be on the necks of thy enemies: the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee.
9 Ungumdlwane wesilwane, Oh Juda; uvela ekuzingeleni, ndodana yami. Njengesilwane uyacathama alale phansi, njengesilwanekazi, ngubani olesibindi sokumhlokoza?
Juda is a lion’s whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him?
10 Intonga yobukhosi kayiyikusuka kuJuda, loba umqwayi wombusi phakathi kwezinyawo zakhe, aze ayofika kumnini wayo lokulalela kwezizwe kukuye.
The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.
11 Uzabophela ubabhemi wakhe evinini, inkonyane kababhemi wakhe ogatsheni oluhle; uzagezisa izembatho zakhe ngewayini, izigqoko zakhe egazini lamagrebisi.
Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, O my son, to the vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.
12 Amehlo akhe azathuba okudlula iwayini, amazinyo akhe abe mhlophe kulochago.
His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
13 UZebhuluni uzahlala okhunjini lolwandle abe litheku lemikhumbi; umngcele wakhe uzaqhelela eSidoni.
Zabulon shall dwell on the sea shore, and in the road of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.
14 U-Isakhari ulithambo likababhemi elilohlonzi olele ephahlwe ngamasaka amabili emithwalo.
Issachar shall be a strong ass lying down between the borders.
15 Uthi nxa ebona ubuhle bendawo yakhe yokuphumula lokubukeka kwelizwe lakhe, uzakwehlisa ihlombe lakhe ukuthwala umthwalo azimisele emsebenzini wesigqili.
He saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute.
16 UDani uzakwahlulela kahle abantu bakibo njengesinye sezizwe zako-Israyeli.
Dan shall judge his people like another tribe in Israel.
17 UDani uzakuba yinyoka esemgwaqweni, inhlangwana elele endleleni, eluma izithende zebhiza ukuze umgadi walo atshelele aye emuva.
Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse’s heels that his rider may fall backward.
18 Ngilindele ukuhlenga kwakho, Oh Thixo.
I will look for thy salvation, O Lord.
19 UGadi uzahlaselwa liqula lamanxusa, kodwa uzabahlasela bamuphe izithende zabo.
Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward.
20 Ukudla kuka-Asheri kuzakuba ngokunonileyo, uzakupha okumnandi okufanele inkosi.
Aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to kings.
21 UNafithali yimpalakazi ekhululiweyo ezala amazinyane amahle.
Nephtali, a hart let loose, and giving words of beauty.
22 UJosefa ulivini elithela kakhulu, ivini elithela kakhulu eduze komthombo, elimagatsha alo akhwela emdulini.
Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold; the daughters run to and fro upon the wall.
23 Abahlaseli bemitshoko bamhlasela ngolaka; bamciba ngenzondo embi.
But they that held darts provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied him.
24 Kodwa kawalazelanga ngedandili lakhe, ingalo zakhe eziqinileyo zala zilokhu ziqinile ngenxa yesandla soMninimandla kaJakhobe, ngenxa kaMalusi, iDwala lika-Israyeli,
His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel.
25 ngenxa kaNkulunkulu kayihlo, okusizayo, ngenxa kaSomandla okubusisayo ngezibusiso zasezulwini ngaphezulu, izibusiso zolwandle olungaphansi, izibusiso zebele lenzalo.
The God of thy father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 Izibusiso zikayihlo zinkulu kulezibusiso zezintaba zekadeni, kulezithelo zamaqaqa adabuka endulo. Zonke lezi kazehlele ekhanda likaJosefa, ebunzini lenkosana phakathi kwabafowabo.
The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come; may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren.
27 UBhenjamini yimpisi ephangayo; ekuseni uyakudlithiza akujimbileyo, ntambama akwabe.”
Benjamin a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide the spoil.
28 Zonke lezi yizizwana ezilitshumi lambili zako-Israyeli, njalo yikho lokho uyise akutsho kubo lapho wayebabusisa, esipha ilowo lalowo isibusiso esimfaneleyo.
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed every one, with their proper blessings.
29 Emva kwalokho wasebanika imilayo le: “Sekusondele ukuba ngimbelwe ebantwini bakithi. Lingimbele labokhokho ebhalwini ensimini ka-Efroni umHithi,
And he charged them, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite,
30 ubhalu olusensimini kaMakhaphela, eduze leMamure eKhenani, eyathengwa ngu-Abhrahama kanye lensimu leyo ku-Efroni umHithi, ukuba yindawo yokungcwaba.
Over against Mambre in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought together with the field of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to bury in.
31 Khonapho kwangcwatshwa u-Abhrahama lomkakhe uSara, kwembelwa u-Isaka lomkakhe uRabheka, njalo khonapho ngambela uLeya.
There they buried him, and Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried with Rebecca his wife: there also Lia doth lie buried.
32 Insimu kanye lobhalu oluphakathi kwathengwa kumaHithi.”
33 Kwathi uJakhobe eseqedile ukunika imilayezo emadodaneni akhe, wakhweza inyawo zakhe embhedeni, waphefumula okokucina, wasiwa kwabakibo.
And when he had ended the commandments, wherewith he instructed his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was gathered to his people.
