UGenesisi 49
1 UJakobe wasebiza amadodana akhe wathi: Buthanani ukuze ngilazise okuzalehlela ensukwini ezizayo.
Jacob [Supplanter] 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, lizwe madodana kaJakobe, limlalele uIsrayeli uyihlo.
Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob [Supplanter]. Sh'ma ·Hear obey· unto Israel [God prevails], your father.
3 Rubeni, ulizibulo lami, amandla ami, lokuqala kokuqina kwami, ukuphelela kwesithunzi, lokuphelela kwamandla.
“Reuben [See, a son!], you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
4 Uphuphuma njengamanzi, kawuyikuba ngopheleleyo, ngoba ukhwele embhedeni kayihlo, wasuwona; wakhwela embhedeni wami.
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 USimeyoni loLevi bayizelamani; inkemba zabo ziyizikhali zokuphanga.
“Simeon [Hearing] and Levi [United with] 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.
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 Kaluqalekiswe ulaka lwabo ngoba lulamandla, lentukuthelo yabo ngoba ilesihluku. Ngizabehlukanisa koJakobe, ngibahlakaze koIsrayeli.
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob [Supplanter], and scatter them in Israel [God prevails].
8 Juda, wena, abafowenu bazakudumisa; isandla sakho sizakuba sentanyeni yezitha zakho; amadodana kayihlo azakukhothamela.
“Judah [Praised], your brothers will yadah ·extend hands in thankful praise· to 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 [Praised] 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, lomnikumthetho phakathi kwenyawo zakhe, aze afike uShilo, njalo izizwe zizamlalela.
The scepter will not depart from Judah [Praised], nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh [Him to whom obedience belongs]. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.
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, 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 azakuba nsundu ngewayini, lamazinyo akhe mhlophe ngochago.
His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
13 UZebuluni uzahlala ethekwini lolwandle, abe litheku lemikhumbi, lomngcele wakhe uzakuba ngaseSidoni.
“Zebulun [Living together] will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
14 UIsakari ungubabhemi olamathambo alamandla, oqutha phakathi kwemithwalo emibili.
“Issachar [Hire, Reward] 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.
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 labor.
16 UDani uzakwahlulela abantu bakhe, njengesinye sezizwe zakoIsrayeli.
“Dan [He judged] will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel [God prevails].
17 UDani uzakuba yinyoka endleleni, inhlangwana emkhondweni, eluma izithende zebhiza, ukuze umgadi walo awe nyovane.
Dan [He judged] 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 usindiso lwakho, Nkosi.
I have waited for your yishu'ah ·salvation·, Adonai.
19 UGadi, iviyo lizamhlasela, kodwa yena uzahlasela ezithendeni.
“A troop will press on Gad [Good fortune], but he will press on their heel.
20 Kuvela kuAsheri, ukudla kwakhe kuzanona, uzaveza izibiliboco zenkosi.
“Asher [Happy]’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.
21 UNafithali uyimpala ethukululiweyo, eveza amazwi amahle.
“Naphtali [My wrestling] is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
22 UJosefa ulugatsha oluthelayo, ugatsha oluthelayo emthonjeni, ingatsha zikhwela phezu komduli.
“Joseph [May he add] is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
23 Abatshoki basebemphatha kabuhlungu, bamtshoka, bamzonda.
The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him:
24 Kodwa idandili lakhe lahlala liqinile, lengalo zezandla zakhe zaqiniswa ngezandla zikaSomandla kaJakobe, okuvela khona umelusi, ilitshe likaIsrayeli,
But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the 'Avir Ya'akov [Mighty One of Supplanter], (from there is the Ro'i [Shepherd Provider], the 'Even Isra'el [Stone of God prevails]),
25 ngoNkulunkulu kayihlo ozakusiza, langoSomandla ozakubusisa ngezibusiso zamazulu ezivela phezulu, izibusiso zokujula okulele phansi, izibusiso zamabele lesizalo,
even by the God of your father, who will help you; by Shaddai [Almighty], who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the rachamim ·womb of compassionate loves·.
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 have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph [May he add], on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.
27 UBhenjamini uyimpisi edabulayo; ekuseni izakudla ekujimbileyo, lakusihlwa izakwehlukanisa impango.
“Benjamin [Son of right hand, Son of south] is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. 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 [God prevails], and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing.
29 Wasebalaya wathi kubo: Sengibuthelwa ebantwini bakithi; lingingcwabe labobaba obhalwini olusensimini kaEfroni umHethi,
He enjoined 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 [Fawn-like] the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear],
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 [Double], which is before Mamre [Bitter, Fatness], in the land of Canaan [Humbled], which Abraham [Father of a multitude] bought with the field from Ephron [Fawn-like] the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear] as a burial place.
31 Lapho bangcwaba oAbrahama loSara umkakhe; lapho bangcwaba oIsaka loRebeka umkakhe; lalapho ngangcwaba uLeya,
There they buried Abraham [Father of a multitude] and Sarah [Princess], his wife. There they buried Isaac [Laughter] and Rebekah [Securely bound], his wife, and there I buried Leah [Weary]:
32 insimu, lobhalu olukiyo, kwathengwa emadodaneni kaHethi.
the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth [Trembling fear].”
33 Kwathi uJakobe eseqedile ukulaya amadodana akhe, waqoqela inyawo zakhe embhedeni, waphela, wabuthelwa ebantwini bakibo.
When Jacob [Supplanter] finished enjoining words to his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.
