Mwanzo 49
1 Kisha Yakobo akawaita wana wake, na kusema: “Jikusanyeni pamoja, ili niwaambie yatakayowapata nyakati zijazo.
Jacob summoned all his sons, and said to them,
2 Kusanyikeni ninyi wenyewe na msikilize, enyi wana wa Yakobo. Msikilizeni Israeli, baba yenu.
“Gather around me in order that I can tell you what will happen in the future. My sons, come and listen to me. I am your father, [Jacob, whom God named] Israel.
3 Reubeni, wewe ni mzaliwa wangu wa kwanza, nguvu zangu, na mwanzo wa uwezo wangu, aliyesalia katika heshima na nguvu.
Reuben, you are my oldest son. You were born when I was young and energetic/strong. You are prouder and stronger than all the rest of my sons.
4 Asiyezuilika kama maji yarukayo, hautakuwa na umaharufu, kwa sababu ulikwenda juu ya kitanda cha baba yako. Hata ukakitia unajisi; ulikipanda kwa kuvizia.
But you were as uncontrollable as a flood [SIM]. So now you will not be my most important son, because you climbed up onto my bed, and had sex with [MTY] my (concubine/slave who had become one of my wives). Your doing that caused me, your father, to have great shame.
5 Simoni na Lawi ni ndugu. Panga zao ni silaha za vurugu.
Simeon and Levi, you have both acted like criminals. You use your swords to act violently.
6 Ee nafsi yangu, usiingie barazani pao; usiingie katika mikutano yao, kwani moyo wangu unaheshima kubwa kwa ajili yao. Kwani katika hasira yao waliua watu. Iliwapendeza kuwakata visigino ng'ombe.
I do not want to be with you when you make evil plans [DOU]. I do not want to join you in your meetings, because you killed people when you became very angry, and you (hamstrung/cut the tendons in the legs of) oxen just to (have fun/see them suffer).
7 Hasira yao na ilaaniwe, kwani ilikuwa kali - na ukali wao, kwani ulikuwa ni katili. Nitawagawa katika Yakobo na kuwatawanya katika Israeli.
God says, ‘I will (curse/cause bad things to happen to) them for being very angry, for acting very cruelly when they were very furious. I will scatter their descendants [MTY] throughout Israel land.’
8 Yuda, ndugu zako watakusifu. Mkono wako utakuwa shingoni mwa adui zako. Wana wa baba yako watainama mbele zako
Judah, your [older and younger] brothers will praise you. They will bow down before you, because you will thoroughly defeat [MTY] your enemies.
9 Yuda ni mwana simba. Mwanangu, umetoka katika mawindo yako. Alisimama chini, alijikunyata kama simba, kama simba jike. Je nana atakayejaribu kumwamsha?
Judah is like a young lion [SIM] that has returned to its den satisfied after eating the animals that it has killed. He is like a lion that lies down and stretches out after eating; no one would dare to disturb it [RHQ].
10 Fimbo haitaondoka katika Yuda, wala fimbo ya utawala kutoka katika miguu yake, hata atakapo kuja Shilo. Mataifa yatamtii.
There will always be a ruler [MTY] from the descendants of Judah [MTY]. Each one will hold a scepter/staff to show that he has authority as a king. He will do that until the one to whom the scepter belongs comes, the one to whom the nations will bring tribute and show that they will obey him.
11 Kumfunga punda wake kwenye mzabibu, na mwanapunda wake katika mzabibu mzuri, amefua mavazi yake katika divai, na kanzu yake katika damu ya vichala vya mzabibu.
The grapevines of Judah’s descendants will produce grapes very abundantly. As a result, they will not object to tying their young donkeys to the grapevines in order that the donkeys can eat the leaves of the grapevines. [Wine will be very plentiful, with the result that] they could wash their cloaks in wine that is as red as blood [MET].
12 Macho yake yatakuwa mausi kama mvinyo, na meno yake meupe kama maziwa.
Their eyes will be red because of [drinking too much] wine, but their teeth will be very white because of drinking much milk [from the cows].
13 Zabuloni atakaa katika fukwe ya bahari. Atakuwa bandari kwa ajili ya meli, na mpaka wake utakuwa hata Sidoni.
Zebulun, your descendants will live by the seashore where there will be a safe harbor for ships. Their land will extend north as far as Sidon [city].
14 Isakari ni punda mwenye nguvu, ajilazaye kati ya kondoo.
Issachar, your descendants will be like strong donkeys that are lying down on the ground between their loads, [so tired that they cannot get up]!
15 Anaona mahali pazuri pa kupumzikia na nchi ya kupendeza. Atainamisha bega lake kwa mzigo na kuwa mtumishi wake.
They will see that their resting place is good, and that the land pleases them very much. But they will bend their backs to carry heavy loads and be forced to work for others.
16 Dani atawaamua watu wake kama mojawapo ya makabila ya Israeli.
Dan, although your tribe will be small, their leaders will rule their people just like the leaders of other tribes of Israel will rule their people.
17 Dani atakuwa nyoka kando ya njia, nyoka mwenye sumu aumaye visigino vya farasi katika njia, hivyo aongozaye farasi huanguka nyuma.
Your descendants will be like snakes at the side of a road, like poisonous snakes lying beside a path. They will strike the heels of horses that pass by, causing the riders to fall backwards [as the horses rear up on their hind legs].”
18 Ninaungoja wokovu wako, Yahwe.
Then Jacob prayed, “Yahweh, I am waiting for you to rescue me [from my enemies].”
19 Gadi - wapanda farasi watamshambulia, lakini yeye atawapiga katika visigino vyao.
[Then Jacob continued telling his sons what would happen in the future. He said], “Gad, your tribe/descendants will be attacked by a group of bandits, but your tribe/descendants will pursue and attack them [MTY].
20 Vyakula vya Asheri vitakuwa vingi, naye ataandaa vyakula vya kifalme.
Asher, your descendants will eat good-tasting food; they will produce food that is delicious enough for kings to eat.
21 Naftali ni dubu jike asiyefungwa; atakuwa na watoto wa dubu walio wazuri.
Naphtali, your descendants will be like deer [MET] that are (free to/not tied down and can) run wherever they wish. They will give birth to children who are good-looking like (fawns/baby deer) [MET].
22 Yusufu ni tawi lizaalo, tawi lizaalo karibu na kijito, ambaye matawi yake yako juu wa ukuta.
Joseph, you will have many descendants [MET]. Their children will be as many as the fruit on a vine near a spring of water, whose branches extend over a wall.
23 Mpiga mishale atamshambulia na kumrushia na kumsumbua.
Their enemies will attack them fiercely, and shoot at them with bows and arrows and pursue them.
24 Lakini upinde wake utakuwa imara, na mikono yake itakuwa hodari kwa sababu ya mikono ya Mwenyenguvu wa Yakobo, kwa ajili ya jina la Mchungaji, Mwamba wa Israeli.
But they will hold their bows steady and their arms will remain strong, because of the power [MTY] of my mighty God, because of Yahweh who guides and provides for me [MET] like a shepherd guides and provides for his sheep. The people of Israel will [ask Yahweh to protect them], [like people hide under] a huge [overhanging] to be protected.
25 Mungu wa baba yako atakusaidia na Mungu Mwenye enzi atakubariki kwa baraka mbinguni juu, baraka za vilindi vilivyo chini, na baraka za maziwa na tumbo.
God, the one whom I worship, will help your descendants. God Almighty will bless them by sending them rain from the sky and by giving them water from deep/far below the ground. He will give them many cattle and children [MET] (OR, and their cattle will have many offspring).
26 Baraka za baba yako ni kuu kuliko baraka za milima ya zamani au vitu vilivyotamaniwa vya milima ya kale. Na viwe katika kichwa cha Yusufu, hata juu ya taji ya kifalme kichwani pa ndugu zake.
The blessings that I want God to give you are great ones. They are greater than the blessings that come from the eternal mountains, greater than the ones that come from the everlasting hills. Joseph, I pray that these blessings will (be given to you/come upon your head), because you are the leader of your [older] brothers [and younger brother].
27 Benjamini ni mbwamwitu mwenye njaa. Wakati wa asubuhi atalarua mawindo, na jioni atagawa mateka.”
Benjamin, your descendants will be like [MET] vicious/fierce wolves: In the morning they will kill their enemies like a wolf devours (its prey/the animals that it has killed), and in the evening they will divide among their warriors the spoils that they seized from their enemies.”
28 Haya ni makabila kumi na mbili ya Israeli. Hiki ndicho baba yao alichowambia alipowabariki. Aliwabariki kila mmoja kwa baraka iliyomstahili.
Those twelve sons are the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. That is what their father said to them as he blessed them, telling to each one words that were appropriate for him.
29 Kisha akawaelekeza na kuwaambia, “Ninakaribia kwenda kwa watu wangu. Mnizike pamoja na babu zangu katika pango lililoko katika shamba la Efroni Mhiti,
Then Jacob said to his sons, “I will soon die. Bury my body where some of my ancestors are buried, in the cave that is in the field that was bought from Ephron, who belonged to the Heth people-group.
30 katika pango lililo katika shamba la Makpela, karibu na Mamre katika nchi ya Kanaani, shamba Ibrahimu alilolinunua kwa Efron Mhiti kwa ajili ya eneo la kuzikia.
That field is in the Machpelah area, east of Mamre [town], in Canaan. My grandfather Abraham bought it from Ephron to use as a burial place.
31 Pale walimzika Ibrahimu na Sara mkewe; pale wakamzika Isaka na Rebeka mkewe; na pale nikamzika Lea.
That is where they buried him and his wife Sarah. That is where they buried my father Isaac and his wife Rebekah. And that is where I buried my wife Leah.
32 Shamba na pango lililomo lilinunuliwa kutoka kwa watu wa Hethi.”
That field and the cave in it were bought from the Heth people-group; so that is where I want you to bury me.”
33 Yakobo alipomaliza maagizo hayo kwa wanawe, akaiweka miguu yake kitandani, akakata roho, akawaendea watu wake
When Jacob finished giving those instructions to his sons, he lay down on his bed again. Then he died [IDM].
