UGenesisi 49
1 UJakobe wasebiza amadodana akhe wathi: Buthanani ukuze ngilazise okuzalehlela ensukwini ezizayo.
Then Jacob summoned his sons, and said: "Gather yourselves together so that I may tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.
2 Buthanani, lizwe madodana kaJakobe, limlalele uIsrayeli uyihlo.
Assemble yourselves and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
3 Rubeni, ulizibulo lami, amandla ami, lokuqala kokuqina kwami, ukuphelela kwesithunzi, lokuphelela kwamandla.
Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, and the the firstfruits of my virility, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
4 Uphuphuma njengamanzi, kawuyikuba ngopheleleyo, ngoba ukhwele embhedeni kayihlo, wasuwona; wakhwela embhedeni wami.
Uncontrolled as the waters, you will not have excel, because you went up to your father's bed, you went up and defiled my couch.
5 USimeyoni loLevi bayizelamani; inkemba zabo ziyizikhali zokuphanga.
Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.
6 Umphefumulo wami ungangeni emphakathini wabo wangasese, udumo lwami lungahlangani emhlanganweni wabo; ngoba ngolaka lwabo babulala umuntu, langokuzithokozisa baquma izinkabi umsipha.
May I never enter their council. May my honor never be joined with their assembly. For in their anger they killed men, and for pleasure they hamstrung oxen.
7 Kaluqalekiswe ulaka lwabo ngoba lulamandla, lentukuthelo yabo ngoba ilesihluku. Ngizabehlukanisa koJakobe, ngibahlakaze koIsrayeli.
Cursed be their anger, for it has been fierce, and their fury, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
8 Juda, wena, 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 UJuda ungumdlwane wesilwane; wenyukile empangweni, ndodana yami, uguqile, ulele njengesilwane, lanjengesilwane esisikazi; ngubani ozamsukumisa?
Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you rise up. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?
10 Intonga yobukhosi kayiyikusuka kuJuda, lomnikumthetho phakathi kwenyawo zakhe, aze afike uShilo, njalo izizwe zizamlalela.
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. And it is he whom the peoples will obey.
11 Ubophela ithole lakhe likababhemi evinini, lethole likababhemikazi wakhe evinini elihle. Uhlamba isigqoko sakhe ewayinini, lesembatho sakhe egazini lezithelo zevini.
Binding his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine. He will wash his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 Amehlo akhe azakuba nsundu ngewayini, lamazinyo akhe mhlophe ngochago.
His eyes will be darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
13 UZebuluni uzahlala ethekwini lolwandle, abe litheku lemikhumbi, lomngcele wakhe uzakuba ngaseSidoni.
Zebulun will dwell at the seashore, and he will be a harbor for ships, and his border will be at Sidon.
14 UIsakari ungubabhemi olamathambo alamandla, oqutha phakathi kwemithwalo emibili.
Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the saddlebags.
15 Wathi ebona indawo yokuphumula ukuthi inhle, lelizwe ukuthi liyabukeka, wagobisa amahlombe akhe ukuze athwale, waba yinceku esibhalweni.
When he sees a good resting place, that the land is pleasant, he will bend his back to the burden, and become a slave doing forced labor.
16 UDani uzakwahlulela abantu bakhe, njengesinye sezizwe zakoIsrayeli.
Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 UDani uzakuba yinyoka endleleni, inhlangwana emkhondweni, eluma izithende zebhiza, ukuze umgadi walo awe nyovane.
Dan will be a serpent on the road, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward.
18 Ngilindele usindiso lwakho, Nkosi.
I wait for your salvation, God.
19 UGadi, iviyo lizamhlasela, kodwa yena uzahlasela ezithendeni.
Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will raid at their heels.
20 Kuvela kuAsheri, ukudla kwakhe kuzanona, uzaveza izibiliboco zenkosi.
Asher's food will be rich, and he will provide royal delicacies.
21 UNafithali uyimpala ethukululiweyo, eveza amazwi amahle.
Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
22 UJosefa ulugatsha oluthelayo, ugatsha oluthelayo emthonjeni, ingatsha zikhwela phezu komduli.
Joseph is a fruitful son, a fruitful son by a spring. His branches run over a wall.
23 Abatshoki basebemphatha kabuhlungu, bamtshoka, bamzonda.
The archers will attack him with bitterness, and shoot at him, and harass him.
24 Kodwa idandili lakhe lahlala liqinile, lengalo zezandla zakhe zaqiniswa ngezandla zikaSomandla kaJakobe, okuvela khona umelusi, ilitshe likaIsrayeli,
Yet his bow will remain steady, and his arms will be made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25 ngoNkulunkulu kayihlo ozakusiza, langoSomandla ozakubusisa ngezibusiso zamazulu ezivela phezulu, izibusiso zokujula okulele phansi, izibusiso zamabele lesizalo,
by the God of your father, who will help you, and El Shaddai, who will bless you with blessings of the sky above, blessings of the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 izibusiso zikayihlo ziyedlula izibusiso zabokhokho bami, kuze kube sengqongeni zamaqaqa aphakade; zizakuba phezu kwekhanda likaJosefa, laphezu kwenkanda yalowo owehlukaniswe kubafowabo.
The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, and the bounty of the everlasting hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
27 UBhenjamini uyimpisi edabulayo; ekuseni izakudla ekujimbileyo, lakusihlwa izakwehlukanisa impango.
Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey, and at evening he will divide the plunder."
28 Bonke labo bayizizwe ezilitshumi lambili zakoIsrayeli; futhi lokho yikho uyise akukhuluma kubo ebabusisa; ngulowo lalowo ngesibusiso sakhe wababusisa.
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed each one with his own individual blessing.
29 Wasebalaya wathi kubo: Sengibuthelwa ebantwini bakithi; lingingcwabe labobaba obhalwini olusensimini kaEfroni umHethi,
Then 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 Hethite,
30 obhalwini olusensimini yeMakaphela eqondane leMamre, elizweni leKhanani, uAbrahama owaluthenga lensimu kuEfroni umHethi ibe yindawo yethu yokungcwabela.
in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hethite as a burial place.
31 Lapho bangcwaba oAbrahama loSara umkakhe; lapho bangcwaba oIsaka loRebeka umkakhe; lalapho ngangcwaba uLeya,
There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah. There they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah.
32 insimu, lobhalu olukiyo, kwathengwa emadodaneni kaHethi.
The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the sons of Heth."
33 Kwathi uJakobe eseqedile ukulaya amadodana akhe, waqoqela inyawo zakhe embhedeni, waphela, wabuthelwa ebantwini bakibo.
When Jacob finished instructing his sons, he drew his legs up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
