UGenesisi 49
1 UJakhobe wabiza amadodana akhe wathi: “Sondelani eduze ngilitshele lokho okuzakwenzakala kini ensukwini ezizayo.
Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.
2 Buthanani lilalele, madodana kaJakhobe, lalelani kuyihlo u-Israyeli.
Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
3 URubheni, ulizibulo lami, amandla ami, isibonakaliso sokuqala samandla ami, ukuphelela ngodumo, ukuphelela ngamandla.
“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
4 Uhlokoma njengamanzi, kawusayikuba liciko, ngoba wakhwela embhedeni kayihlo, waya phezu kwesihlalo sami wasingcolisa.
Boiling over like water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.
5 USimiyoni loLevi bayizelamani inkemba zabo yizikhali zodlakela.
“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.
6 Mangingangeni enkundleni yabo, mangingangeni emhlanganweni wabo, ngoba bababulala abantu ngokuthukuthela kwabo njalo inkabi baziquma imisipha santando.
My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.
7 Luqalekisiwe ulaka lwabo, lwesabeka kubi, lentukuthelo yabo, ilesihluku esibi! Ngizakubachithiza kuJakhobe, njalo ngibahlakaze ko-Israyeli.
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
8 Juda, abafowenu bazakudumisa; isandla sakho sizakuba sentanyeni yezitha zakho; amadodana kayihlo azakukhothamela.
“Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you.
9 Ungumdlwane wesilwane, Oh Juda; uvela ekuzingeleni, ndodana yami. Njengesilwane uyacathama alale phansi, njengesilwanekazi, ngubani olesibindi sokumhlokoza?
Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?
10 Intonga yobukhosi kayiyikusuka kuJuda, loba umqwayi wombusi phakathi kwezinyawo zakhe, aze ayofika kumnini wayo lokulalela kwezizwe kukuye.
The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. The obedience of the peoples will be to him.
11 Uzabophela ubabhemi wakhe evinini, inkonyane kababhemi wakhe ogatsheni oluhle; uzagezisa izembatho zakhe ngewayini, izigqoko zakhe egazini lamagrebisi.
Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 Amehlo akhe azathuba okudlula iwayini, amazinyo akhe abe mhlophe kulochago.
His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
13 UZebhuluni uzahlala okhunjini lolwandle abe litheku lemikhumbi; umngcele wakhe uzaqhelela eSidoni.
“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
14 U-Isakhari ulithambo likababhemi elilohlonzi olele ephahlwe ngamasaka amabili emithwalo.
“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.
15 Uthi nxa ebona ubuhle bendawo yakhe yokuphumula lokubukeka kwelizwe lakhe, uzakwehlisa ihlombe lakhe ukuthwala umthwalo azimisele emsebenzini wesigqili.
He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labour.
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 a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.
18 Ngilindele ukuhlenga kwakho, Oh Thixo.
I have waited for your salvation, LORD.
19 UGadi uzahlaselwa liqula lamanxusa, kodwa uzabahlasela bamuphe izithende zabo.
“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.
20 Ukudla kuka-Asheri kuzakuba ngokunonileyo, uzakupha okumnandi okufanele inkosi.
“Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.
21 UNafithali yimpalakazi ekhululiweyo ezala amazinyane amahle.
“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
22 UJosefa ulivini elithela kakhulu, ivini elithela kakhulu eduze komthombo, elimagatsha alo akhwela emdulini.
“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
23 Abahlaseli bemitshoko bamhlasela ngolaka; bamciba ngenzondo embi.
The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him:
24 Kodwa kawalazelanga ngedandili lakhe, ingalo zakhe eziqinileyo zala zilokhu ziqinile ngenxa yesandla soMninimandla kaJakhobe, ngenxa kaMalusi, iDwala lika-Israyeli,
But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),
25 ngenxa kaNkulunkulu kayihlo, okusizayo, ngenxa kaSomandla okubusisayo ngezibusiso zasezulwini ngaphezulu, izibusiso zolwandle olungaphansi, izibusiso zebele lenzalo.
even by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, 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 your father have prevailed above the blessings of my ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.
27 UBhenjamini yimpisi ephangayo; ekuseni uyakudlithiza akujimbileyo, ntambama akwabe.”
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”
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, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his own blessing.
29 Emva kwalokho wasebanika imilayo le: “Sekusondele ukuba ngimbelwe ebantwini bakithi. Lingimbele labokhokho ebhalwini ensimini ka-Efroni umHithi,
He instructed them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is 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.
in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.
31 Khonapho kwangcwatshwa u-Abhrahama lomkakhe uSara, kwembelwa u-Isaka lomkakhe uRabheka, njalo khonapho ngambela uLeya.
There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:
32 Insimu kanye lobhalu oluphakathi kwathengwa kumaHithi.”
the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.”
33 Kwathi uJakhobe eseqedile ukunika imilayezo emadodaneni akhe, wakhweza inyawo zakhe embhedeni, waphefumula okokucina, wasiwa kwabakibo.
When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.
