UGenesisi 49
1 UJakhobe wabiza amadodana akhe wathi: “Sondelani eduze ngilitshele lokho okuzakwenzakala kini ensukwini ezizayo.
Jacob called his sons together, and said, “Gather round so I can tell you what's going to happen to you in the future.
2 Buthanani lilalele, madodana kaJakhobe, lalelani kuyihlo u-Israyeli.
Come here, sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father.
3 URubheni, ulizibulo lami, amandla ami, isibonakaliso sokuqala samandla ami, ukuphelela ngodumo, ukuphelela ngamandla.
Reuben. You are my firstborn, conceived when I was strong, born when I was vigorous! You were above all others is position, above all others in power.
4 Uhlokoma njengamanzi, kawusayikuba liciko, ngoba wakhwela embhedeni kayihlo, waya phezu kwesihlalo sami wasingcolisa.
But you boil over like water, so you won't be above anyone anymore, because you went and slept with my concubine; you violated my marriage bed.
5 USimiyoni loLevi bayizelamani inkemba zabo yizikhali zodlakela.
Simeon and Levi are two of the same kind—they use their weapons for destructive violence.
6 Mangingangeni enkundleni yabo, mangingangeni emhlanganweni wabo, ngoba bababulala abantu ngokuthukuthela kwabo njalo inkabi baziquma imisipha santando.
I refuse to be part of their decisions; I refuse to participate in what they do. For they killed men in their anger; they crippled cattle just for fun.
7 Luqalekisiwe ulaka lwabo, lwesabeka kubi, lentukuthelo yabo, ilesihluku esibi! Ngizakubachithiza kuJakhobe, njalo ngibahlakaze ko-Israyeli.
I curse their anger because it is too harsh; I curse their fury because it is too cruel! I will separate their descendants throughout Jacob; I will scatter them throughout Israel.
8 Juda, abafowenu bazakudumisa; isandla sakho sizakuba sentanyeni yezitha zakho; amadodana kayihlo azakukhothamela.
Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will defeat your enemies. Your father's sons shall bow down to you in respect.
9 Ungumdlwane wesilwane, Oh Juda; uvela ekuzingeleni, ndodana yami. Njengesilwane uyacathama alale phansi, njengesilwanekazi, ngubani olesibindi sokumhlokoza?
My son Judah is a young lion coming back from eating its prey. He crouches and lies down like a lion. Like a lion, who would dare to disturb him?
10 Intonga yobukhosi kayiyikusuka kuJuda, loba umqwayi wombusi phakathi kwezinyawo zakhe, aze ayofika kumnini wayo lokulalela kwezizwe kukuye.
Judah will always hold the scepter, and the staff of authority will always be at his feet until Shiloh comes; the nations will obey him.
11 Uzabophela ubabhemi wakhe evinini, inkonyane kababhemi wakhe ogatsheni oluhle; uzagezisa izembatho zakhe ngewayini, izigqoko zakhe egazini lamagrebisi.
He ties his donkey to the vine, his donkey's colt to the best vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the red juice of grapes.
12 Amehlo akhe azathuba okudlula iwayini, amazinyo akhe abe mhlophe kulochago.
His eyes sparkle more than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.
13 UZebhuluni uzahlala okhunjini lolwandle abe litheku lemikhumbi; umngcele wakhe uzaqhelela eSidoni.
Zebulun will live on the seashore and provide a harbor for ships; his territory will extend towards Sidon.
14 U-Isakhari ulithambo likababhemi elilohlonzi olele ephahlwe ngamasaka amabili emithwalo.
Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between two saddle bags.
15 Uthi nxa ebona ubuhle bendawo yakhe yokuphumula lokubukeka kwelizwe lakhe, uzakwehlisa ihlombe lakhe ukuthwala umthwalo azimisele emsebenzini wesigqili.
He sees that the place where he's resting is good, and the land is lovely, so he's willing to lower his back to accept the burden and to work as a slave.
16 UDani uzakwahlulela kahle abantu bakibo njengesinye sezizwe zako-Israyeli.
Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 UDani uzakuba yinyoka esemgwaqweni, inhlangwana elele endleleni, eluma izithende zebhiza ukuze umgadi walo atshelele aye emuva.
Dan will be as dangerous as a snake beside the road, a viper by the path that bites the horse's heel, throwing its rider off backwards.
18 Ngilindele ukuhlenga kwakho, Oh Thixo.
I trust in you to save me, Lord.
19 UGadi uzahlaselwa liqula lamanxusa, kodwa uzabahlasela bamuphe izithende zabo.
Raiders will attack Gad, but he will attack their heels.
20 Ukudla kuka-Asheri kuzakuba ngokunonileyo, uzakupha okumnandi okufanele inkosi.
Asher will have delicious food—he'll produce fancy food for royalty.
21 UNafithali yimpalakazi ekhululiweyo ezala amazinyane amahle.
Naphtali is a deer that's free to run; it gives birth to beautiful fawns.
22 UJosefa ulivini elithela kakhulu, ivini elithela kakhulu eduze komthombo, elimagatsha alo akhwela emdulini.
Joseph is a fruitful tree, a fruitful tree beside a spring, whose branches climb over the wall.
23 Abahlaseli bemitshoko bamhlasela ngolaka; bamciba ngenzondo embi.
The archers viciously attacked him; they shot their arrows at him with hate.
24 Kodwa kawalazelanga ngedandili lakhe, ingalo zakhe eziqinileyo zala zilokhu ziqinile ngenxa yesandla soMninimandla kaJakhobe, ngenxa kaMalusi, iDwala lika-Israyeli,
But he held his bow steady, and his arms and hands moved quickly in the strength of the Mighty One of Jacob, who is called the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
25 ngenxa kaNkulunkulu kayihlo, okusizayo, ngenxa kaSomandla okubusisayo ngezibusiso zasezulwini ngaphezulu, izibusiso zolwandle olungaphansi, izibusiso zebele lenzalo.
The God of your father will help you and the Almighty will bless you with blessings from the heavens above, with blessings from the depths below, with blessings for many children.
26 Izibusiso zikayihlo zinkulu kulezibusiso zezintaba zekadeni, kulezithelo zamaqaqa adabuka endulo. Zonke lezi kazehlele ekhanda likaJosefa, ebunzini lenkosana phakathi kwabafowabo.
The blessings your father received were greater than the blessings of his forefathers, more than the blessings of the eternal mountains. May they be upon the head of Joseph, on the forehead of the one set apart as a leader from his brothers.
27 UBhenjamini yimpisi ephangayo; ekuseni uyakudlithiza akujimbileyo, ntambama akwabe.”
Benjamin is a vicious wolf. In the morning he destroys his enemies, in the evening he divides the loot.”
28 Zonke lezi yizizwana ezilitshumi lambili zako-Israyeli, njalo yikho lokho uyise akutsho kubo lapho wayebabusisa, esipha ilowo lalowo isibusiso esimfaneleyo.
These are all of the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father told them as he blessed them, each according to their respective blessings.
29 Emva kwalokho wasebanika imilayo le: “Sekusondele ukuba ngimbelwe ebantwini bakithi. Lingimbele labokhokho ebhalwini ensimini ka-Efroni umHithi,
Then he gave them the following instructions: “I'm going to die soon. Bury me with my forefathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
30 ubhalu olusensimini kaMakhaphela, eduze leMamure eKhenani, eyathengwa ngu-Abhrahama kanye lensimu leyo ku-Efroni umHithi, ukuba yindawo yokungcwaba.
This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought together with the field from Ephron the Hittite to own as a burial site.
31 Khonapho kwangcwatshwa u-Abhrahama lomkakhe uSara, kwembelwa u-Isaka lomkakhe uRabheka, njalo khonapho ngambela uLeya.
Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there, and I buried Leah there.
32 Insimu kanye lobhalu oluphakathi kwathengwa kumaHithi.”
The field and the cave were bought from the Hittites.”
33 Kwathi uJakhobe eseqedile ukunika imilayezo emadodaneni akhe, wakhweza inyawo zakhe embhedeni, waphefumula okokucina, wasiwa kwabakibo.
When Jacob finished giving these instructions he pulled up his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his forefathers in death.
