UDutheronomi 33
1 Lalesi yisibusiso uMozisi umuntu kaNkulunkulu abusisa ngaso abantwana bakoIsrayeli engakafi.
Before God’s prophet Moses died, he [asked God to] bless the Israeli people.
2 Wasesithi: INkosi yavela eSinayi, yenyukela kubo ivela eSeyiri, yakhanya isentabeni yeParani, yabuya lenkulungwane ezilitshumi zabangcwele; ngakwesokunene sayo kwakulomlayo ovuthayo kibo.
This is what he said: “Yahweh came [and spoke] to us at Sinai [Mountain]; he [came like] [MET] the sun rises in the Edom [region] and like his light shone on us when we were [in the desert] near Paran Mountain [after we left Sinai Mountain]. He came with 10,000 angels, and there was a flaming fire at his right side.
3 Yebo, yathanda abantu. Bonke abangcwele bayo babesesandleni sakho; labo bahlala enyaweni zakho, ngamunye emukele okwamazwi akho.
Yahweh truly loves his people, and protects [MTY] all those who belong to him. So they prostrate themselves in front of him, and they listen to his instructions.
4 UMozisi wasilaya umlayo, ilifa lebandla likaJakobe.
I gave them laws to obey, laws that would be the most precious thing that [the descendants of] Jacob owned.
5 Yaba yinkosi eJeshuruni, lapho inhloko zabantu zibuthene, ndawonye lezizwe zakoIsrayeli.
So Yahweh became the king of his Israeli people when all the tribes and their leaders were gathered together.
6 URubeni kaphile, angafi, lamadoda akhe abe linani.
[I say this about the tribe of] Reuben: I desire/hope that their tribe will never disappear, but they will never become numerous.
7 Lalokhu ngokukaJuda, wasesithi: Zwana, Nkosi, ilizwi likaJuda, umlethe kubantu bakhe, izandla zakhe kazimlwele, njalo kawube ngumsizi ezitheni zakhe.
“say this about [the tribe of] Judah: Yahweh, listen to them when they call out [for help]; and unite them with the other tribes again. Fight for them, and help them to fight against their enemies.
8 LakuLevi wathi: IThumimi yakho leUrimi yakho ngokwendoda, eyingcwele yakho, owayilinga eMasa, waphikisana layo emanzini eMeriba;
I say this about [the tribe of] Levi: Yahweh, give to those who are dedicated to you the sacred stones [that they will use to find out what you want to be done]; You tested them at a spring in the desert, a spring that they named Massah and also named Meribah [to find out if they would (remain loyal to/continue to obey) you].
9 eyathi kuyise lakunina: Kangimbonanga; kabananzanga abafowabo, kabazanga abantwana bakhe. Ngoba balalela ilizwi lakho, bagcina isivumelwano sakho.
The tribe of Levi did what you told them to do and obeyed the agreement that you [made with the Israeli people]; those laws were more important to them [HYP] than their siblings and parents and children.
10 Bazamfundisa uJakobe izahlulelo zakho, loIsrayeli umlayo wakho; bazabeka impepha phambi kwamakhala akho, lomnikelo wonke phezu kwelathi lakho.
The tribe of Levi will teach the Israeli people [DOU] your rules and regulations, and they are the ones who will burn incense and who will completely burn on the altar the offerings [that the people bring].
11 Busisa, Nkosi, amandla akhe, wemukele umsebenzi wezandla zakhe; tshaya inkalo zalabo abamvukelayo lezabamzondayo, ukuze bangasukumi.
Yahweh, bless their work and (accept/be pleased with) all that they do. Crush/Destroy all their enemies; do not enable their enemies to be able to fight against them again.
12 KuBhenjamini wathi: Othandwayo weNkosi uzahlala evikelekile ngakiyo; izamsibekela usuku lonke, uzahlala phakathi kwamahlombe ayo.
I say this about [the tribe of] Benjamin: They are the tribe that Yahweh loves; he keeps them safe. He protects them continually, and he lives among their hills [MET].
13 LakuJosefa wathi: Ilizwe lakhe kalibusiswe yiNkosi, ngokuhlekazi kwamazulu, ngamazolo, langokujula okulele ngaphansi,
“say this about [the tribes of] Joseph: I desire/hope that Yahweh will bless their land by giving them rain/dew from the sky and water from deep [in the ground],
14 langokuhlekazi kwezithelo zelanga, langokuhlekazi kwezinto ezivezwa zinyanga,
by giving them good fruit [ripened] by the sun and good crops at harvest time.
15 langekhethelo lentaba ezindala, langokuhlekazi kwamaqaqa aphakade,
I desire/hope that very nice fruit will grow on trees in their ancient mountains/hills [DOU],
16 langokuhlekazi komhlaba lokugcwala kwawo, lomusa walowo owahlala esihlahleni. Izinto lezi kazize ekhanda likaJosefa, lenkanda yalowo owehlukaniswa labafowabo.
and that their land will be have many good crops, blessed by [Yahweh], the one who appeared to me in a burning bush. I desire/hope that Yahweh will bless the tribes of Joseph in all those ways, because he was the leaders of his [older] brothers [when they were in Egypt].
17 Ulobukhosi bezibulo benkunzi yakhe, lempondo zakhe zimpondo zenyathi; uzahlaba ngazo izizwe ndawonye zize zifike emikhawulweni yomhlaba. Lezi zinkulungwane ezilitshumi zakoEfrayimi, lalezi zinkulungwane zakoManase.
The descendants of Joseph will be as strong as [SIM] a bull; [with their weapons they will wound their enemies, like] [MET] a wild ox [gores other animals] with its horns. They will force other people-groups, all of them, to be exiled to the most distant places on the earth. That is what [the descendants of the two sons of Joseph] will do, the ten thousands [of the tribe] of Ephraim and the thousands [of the tribe] of Manasseh.
18 LakuZebuluni wathi: Thokoza, Zebuluni, ekuphumeni kwakho, lawe Isakari, emathenteni akho.
“say this about [the tribes of] Zebulun [and Issachar]: I desire/hope that the people of Zebulun will prosper in their travels [across the seas], and that the people of Issachar will prosper while they stay at home [and take care of their cattle and crops].
19 Bazabizela izizwe entabeni, lapho bahlabe iminikelo yokulunga. Ngoba bazamunya inala yezinlwandle, lamagugu afihlwe etshebetshebeni.
They will invite people [from the other Israeli tribes] to the mountain [where they worship Yahweh], and they will offer the correct/proper sacrifices to him. They will become rich from [the work that they do on] the seas and from [the things that they make from] (OR, [find in]) the sand [on the beaches].
20 LakuGadi wathi: Kabusiswe owandisa uGadi. Uhlala njengesilwane, uklebhula ingalo, yebo inkanda.
“say this about [the tribe of] Gad: Praise [Yahweh], the one who made their [territory] large. The people of their tribe [will attack their enemies fiercely] [SIM] like a lion that crouches, waiting to tear off the arm or the scalp [of some animal].
21 Wazinakekela ngekhethelo, ngoba lapho isabelo somnikumthetho salondolozwa; weza lenhloko zabantu, wenza ukulunga kweNkosi, lezahlulelo zayo loIsrayeli.
They chose the best part of the land for themselves; [a large share of the land], a share that should be given to a leader was allotted to them. When the leaders of the tribes of Israel [gathered together], they decided that the tribe of Gad should have a large share of the land. The tribe of Gad obeyed the commands of Yahweh and the things that he decided that they should do.
22 LakuDani wathi: UDani ngumdlwane wesilwane; uzakweqa evela eBashani.
“say this about [the tribe] of Dan: The people of the tribe of Dan are like [SIM] a young lion; they leap from [their caves in the] Bashan [region to attack their enemies].
23 LakuNafithali wathi: Nafithali, eneliswa ngomusa, ugcwele isibusiso seNkosi, dlana ilifa lentshonalanga leningizimu.
“say this about [the tribe of] Naphtali: [The people of the tribe of] Naphtali have been blessed by Yahweh, who has been very kind to them; their land extends far south from Lake [Galilee].
24 LakuAsheri wathi: UAsheri kabusiswe ngabantwana, abe ngowemukelekayo kubafowabo, agxamuze unyawo lwakhe emafutheni.
“say this about [the tribe of] Asher: May Yahweh bless the descendants of Asher more than he will bless the other tribes. May he favor Asher’s descendants most of all. I desire/hope that their land will [be filled with olive trees that will] produce a lot of [IDM] [olives to make olive] oil.
25 Insimbi lethusi kuzakuba yizicathulo zakho, lanjengensuku zakho azakuba njalo amandla akho.
Their [towns will be protected by high walls with gates that have] bronze and iron bars; I desire/hope that they will be strong and secure/protected all the time that they are alive.
26 Kakho onjengoNkulunkulu, Jeshuruni, ogade amazulu kusizo lwakho, lomkhathi ngobukhosi bakhe.
“You people of Israel, there is no god like your God, who rides majestically across the sky to help you.
27 UNkulunkulu waphakade uyisiphephelo, langaphansi kulengalo ezingelakuphela. Uxotsha isitha phambi kwakho, athi: Bhubhisa.
God, who lives forever, is the one who (gives you refuge/protects you); [it is as though] he puts his everlasting arms under you [to support you]. He will expel your enemies while you advance; he has told you to destroy all of them.
28 Ngakho uIsrayeli uzahlala evikelekile eyedwa; ilihlo likaJakobe lizakuba elizweni lamabele lewayini elitsha; yebo, amazulu akhe azathontisa amazolo.
So, you Israeli people will live safely; you descendants of Jacob will not be disturbed by others; in the land where [you will live], there will be plenty of grain and wine, and there will be plenty of rain.
29 Ubusisiwe wena, Israyeli! Ngubani onjengawe, isizwe esisindiswe yiNkosi, isihlangu sosizo lwakho, loyinkemba yobukhosi bakho? Lezitha zakho zizakuthobela ngokuzenzisa, lawe unyathele endaweni zazo eziphakemeyo.
You people of Israel, Yahweh (has blessed/is pleased with) you. There is certainly [RHQ] no nation like your nation, whom Yahweh has rescued [from being slaves in Egypt]. [He will be like] [MET] a shield to protect you and like [MET] a sword to enable you to defeat [your enemies]. Your enemies will come to you begging for you [to act mercifully toward them], but you will trample on their backs/necks.”
