UGenesisi 49
1 UJakobe wasebiza amadodana akhe wathi: Buthanani ukuze ngilazise okuzalehlela ensukwini ezizayo.
Then Jacob called for his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what will happen to you in the future.
2 Buthanani, lizwe madodana kaJakobe, limlalele uIsrayeli uyihlo.
Assemble yourselves and listen, 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 might, and the beginning of my strength, outstanding in dignity, and outstanding in power.
4 Uphuphuma njengamanzi, kawuyikuba ngopheleleyo, ngoba ukhwele embhedeni kayihlo, wasuwona; wakhwela embhedeni wami.
Uncontrollable as rushing water, you will not have the preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed. Then you defiled it; you went up to my couch.
5 USimeyoni loLevi bayizelamani; inkemba zabo ziyizikhali zokuphanga.
Simeon and Levi are brothers. Weapons of violence are their swords.
6 Umphefumulo wami ungangeni emphakathini wabo wangasese, udumo lwami lungahlangani emhlanganweni wabo; ngoba ngolaka lwabo babulala umuntu, langokuzithokozisa baquma izinkabi umsipha.
O my soul, do not come into their council; do not join in their meetings, for my heart has too much honor for that. For in their anger they killed men. It was for pleasure that they hamstrung oxen.
7 Kaluqalekiswe ulaka lwabo ngoba lulamandla, lentukuthelo yabo ngoba ilesihluku. Ngizabehlukanisa koJakobe, ngibahlakaze koIsrayeli.
May their anger be cursed, for it was 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. My son, you have gone up from your victims. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, like a lioness. Who would dare to awaken him?
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 Shiloh comes. The nations will obey him.
11 Ubophela ithole lakhe likababhemi evinini, lethole likababhemikazi wakhe evinini elihle. Uhlamba isigqoko sakhe ewayinini, lesembatho sakhe egazini lezithelo zevini.
Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, and his robe in the blood of grapes.
12 Amehlo akhe azakuba nsundu ngewayini, lamazinyo akhe mhlophe ngochago.
His eyes will be as dark as wine, and his teeth as white as milk.
13 UZebuluni uzahlala ethekwini lolwandle, abe litheku lemikhumbi, lomngcele wakhe uzakuba ngaseSidoni.
Zebulun will live by the shore of the sea. He will be a harbor for ships, and his border will extend to Sidon.
14 UIsakari ungubabhemi olamathambo alamandla, oqutha phakathi kwemithwalo emibili.
Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.
15 Wathi ebona indawo yokuphumula ukuthi inhle, lelizwe ukuthi liyabukeka, wagobisa amahlombe akhe ukuze athwale, waba yinceku esibhalweni.
He sees a good resting place and the pleasant land. He will bend his shoulder to the burden and become a servant for the task.
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 snake beside the road, a poisonous snake in the path that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.
18 Ngilindele usindiso lwakho, Nkosi.
I wait for your salvation, Yahweh.
19 UGadi, iviyo lizamhlasela, kodwa yena uzahlasela ezithendeni.
Gad—raiders will attack him, but he will attack them 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 let loose; he will have beautiful fawns.
22 UJosefa ulugatsha oluthelayo, ugatsha oluthelayo emthonjeni, ingatsha zikhwela phezu komduli.
Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough near a spring, whose branches climb over the wall.
23 Abatshoki basebemphatha kabuhlungu, bamtshoka, bamzonda.
The archers will attack him 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,
But his bow will remain steady, and his hands will be skillful because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of 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,
The God of your father will help you and the Almighty God will bless you with blessings of the sky above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, and blessings of the breasts and 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 or the desirable things of the ancient hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, even upon the crown of the head of the prince of his brothers.
27 UBhenjamini uyimpisi edabulayo; ekuseni izakudla ekujimbileyo, lakusihlwa izakwehlukanisa impango.
Benjamin is a hungry wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey, and in the 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.
These are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. Each one he blessed with an appropriate blessing.
29 Wasebalaya wathi kubo: Sengibuthelwa ebantwini bakithi; lingingcwabe labobaba obhalwini olusensimini kaEfroni umHethi,
Then he instructed them and said to them, “I am about to go to my people. Bury me with my forefathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
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, the field that Abraham bought for a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.
31 Lapho bangcwaba oAbrahama loSara umkakhe; lapho bangcwaba oIsaka loRebeka umkakhe; lalapho ngangcwaba uLeya,
There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; 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 people of Heth.”
33 Kwathi uJakobe eseqedile ukulaya amadodana akhe, waqoqela inyawo zakhe embhedeni, waphela, wabuthelwa ebantwini bakibo.
When Jacob finished these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and went to his people.
