Jacob Gives Blessings to His Sons
1Then Jacob sent for his sons. He said, “Gather around me so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2“Sons of Jacob, come together and listen.
Listen to your father Israel.
3“Reuben, you are my oldest son.
You were my first child. You were the first sign of my strength.
You were first in honor. You were first in power.
4But you are as unsteady as water. So you won’t be first anymore.
You had sex with my concubine on my bed.
You lay on my couch and made it ‘unclean.’
5“Simeon and Levi are brothers.
Their swords have killed a lot of people.
6I won’t share in their plans.
I won’t have anything to do with them.
They became angry and killed people.
They cut the legs of oxen just for the fun of it.
7May the Lord put a curse on them
because of their terrible anger.
I will scatter them in Jacob’s land.
I will spread them around in Israel.
8“Judah, your brothers will praise you.
Your enemies will be brought under your control.
Your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9Judah, you are like a lion’s cub.
You return from hunting, my son.
Like a lion, you lie down and sleep.
You are like a mother lion. Who dares to wake you up?
10The right to rule will not leave Judah.
The ruler’s scepter will not be taken from between his feet.
It will be his until the king it belongs to will come.
The nations will obey that king.
11He will tie his donkey to a vine.
He will tie his colt to the very best branch.
He will wash his clothes in wine.
He will wash his robes in the red juice of grapes.
12His eyes will be darker than wine.
His teeth will be whiter than milk.
13“Zebulun will live by the seashore.
He will become a safe harbor for ships.
His border will go out toward Sidon.
14“Issachar is like a wild donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.
15He sees how good his resting place is.
He sees that his land is pleasant.
So he will carry a heavy load on his back.
He will obey when he’s forced to work.
16“Dan will do what is fair for his people.
He will do it as one of the tribes of Israel.
17Dan will be a snake by the side of the road.
He will be a poisonous snake along the path.
It bites the horse’s heels
so that the rider falls off backward.
18“Lord, I look to you to save me.
19“Gad will be attacked by a group of robbers.
But he will attack them as they run away.
20“Asher’s food will be rich and sweet.
He will provide food that even a king would enjoy.
21“Naphtali is a female deer set free
and gives birth to beautiful fawns.
22“Joseph is a vine that grows a lot of fruit.
It grows close by a spring.
Its branches climb over a wall.
23Mean people shot arrows at him.
They shot at him because they were angry.
24But his bow remained steady.
His strong arms moved freely.
The hand of the Mighty God of Jacob was with him.
The Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, stood by him.
25Joseph, your father’s God helps you.
The Mighty God blesses you.
He gives you blessings from the sky above.
He gives you blessings from the deep springs below.
He blesses you with children and with a mother’s milk.
26Your father’s blessings are great.
They are greater than the blessings from the age-old mountains.
They are greater than the gifts from the ancient hills.
Let all those blessings rest on the head of Joseph.
Let them rest on the head of the one who is prince among his brothers.
27“Benjamin is a hungry wolf.
In the morning he eats what he has killed.
In the evening he shares what he has stolen.”
28All these are the 12 tribes of Israel. That’s what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each one the blessing that was just right for him.
Jacob Dies
29Then Jacob gave directions to his sons. He said, “I’m about to join the members of my family who have already died. Bury me with them in the cave in the field of Ephron, the Hittite. 30The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in Canaan. Abraham had bought it as a place where he could bury his wife’s body. He had bought the cave and the field from Ephron, the Hittite. 31The bodies of Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there. So were the bodies of Isaac and his wife Rebekah. I also buried Leah’s body there. 32Abraham bought the field and the cave from the Hittites.”
33When Jacob had finished telling his sons what to do, he pulled his feet up into his bed. Then he took his last breath and died. He joined the members of his family who had already died.
Yakob Hyira Ne Mmabarima
1Yakob frɛɛ ne mmabarima nyinaa ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Mummetwa me ho nhyia, na menka mo nea ɛbɛba mo so daakye.
2“Yakob mmabarima, mommoaboa mo ho ano, na muntie;
muntie mo agya Israel.
3“Ruben, wo na woyɛ mʼabakan.
Wo na woyɛ me tumi ne mʼahoɔden nsɛnkyerɛnne a edi kan a
ɛboro anuonyam ne tumi so.
4Woyɛ kitikiti sɛ asorɔkye, nanso worenkɔ so bio,
efisɛ woforoo wʼagya mpa ne ne yere kɔdae,
de guu mʼanim ase.
5“Simeon ne Lewi yɛ anuanom.
Wogyina hɔ ma basabasayɛ ne asisi.
6Mma me nkɔka wɔn agyinatu ho,
efisɛ wɔnam wɔn abufuw so akunkum nnipa,
na wokunkum anantwi de gyee wɔn ani.
7Nnome nka wɔn abufuw, efisɛ ano yɛ den,
na ɛyɛ atirimɔdensɛm!
Ɛno nti, mɛbɔ wɔn asefo ahwete
Israelman mu nyinaa.
8“Yuda, wo nuabarimanom beyi wo ayɛ.
Wobɛsɛe wʼatamfo nyinaa.
Wʼagya mmabarima bɛkotow wo.
9Yuda, woyɛ gyata ba a
woawe wʼatamfo nam awie.
Wote sɛ gyata a wabutuw.
Hena na obetumi akɔka no?
10Ahempema remfi Yuda nsam,
na saa ara nso na ahempema remfi nʼanan ntam,
kosi sɛ, nea ɛyɛ ne dea a aman nyinaa betie no no bɛba.
11Ɔbɛsa nʼafurum wɔ bobe dua mu.
Ɔde nʼafurum ba bɛsa bobe pa mman mu.
Ɔbɛhoro ne ntama wɔ nsa mu,
na wahoro nʼatade nso wɔ bobesa kɔɔ mu.
12Nʼaniwa aba bebiri asen bobesa.
Ne se bɛyɛ fitaa asen nufusu.
13“Sebulon bɛtena mpoano.
Obesisi ahyɛngyinabea ama ahyɛn.
Nʼahye so bɛtrɛw akosi Sidon.
14“Isakar yɛ afurum hoɔdenfo a
obutuw hɔ rehome wɔ nguankuw mu.
15Sɛ ohu sɛnea nʼahomegyebea ye fa,
ne sɛnea nʼasase no so dwo a,
obekuntun agye adesoa,
na wapene so sɛ akoa ama ɔhyɛ adwuma.
16“Dan bebu ne manfo atɛn
sɛ Israel mmusuakuw no baako.
17Dan bɛyɛ sɛ ɔwɔ a ɔda kwankyɛn;
ɔbɛyɛ sɛ ahurutoa a ɔnam ɔtempɔn mu a
ɔka ɔpɔnkɔ nantin,
sɛnea ɛbɛma ne sotefo atew ahwe nʼakyi.
18“Awurade, wo nkwagye na meretwɛn.
19“Nnipa bɔnefo bɛtow ahyɛ Gad so,
na ɔno nso betiw wɔn atow ahyɛ wɔn so.
20“Aser aduan a odi no bɛyɛ aduan pa.
Na ɔbɛma ahennuan a ɛyɛ akɔnnɔ.
21“Naftali te sɛ ɔforote a wɔagyaa no a
ɔwo mma ahoɔfɛfo.
22“Yosef yɛ ngodua a ɛsow aba,
a esi asuten ho,
na ne mman tra afasu.
23Agyantowfo kaa no hyɛe,
de abufuw tow hyɛɛ ne so.
24Nanso ne bɛma no gyinaa pintinn,
na ne basa mu yɛɛ den;
esiane Otumfo Nyankopɔn a Yakob som no no
a ɔyɛ oguanhwɛfo ne Israel botantim no;
25esiane Onyankopɔn a wʼagya som no a ɔboa wo no;
Otumfo a ɔde ɔsoro nhyira behyira wo;
nhyira a efi asase ase pɛɛ;
nhyira a efi nufu ne ɔyafunu mu no.
26Wʼagya nhyira a wɔahyira no no
bɛdɔɔso asen tete nteredee mmepɔw
ne nkoko a etintim hɔ daa no so nnɔbae.
Eyinom nyinaa mmra Yosef ti so,
engugu anuanom no mu nea wɔapaw no no anintɔn so.
27“Benyamin yɛ pataku a ɔyɛ nam;
ɔbɔ aporɔw anɔpa, kyere ne hanam we,
na edu anwummere a, ɔkyekyɛ nam nkae no.”
28Eyi ne nhyira a Israel mmusuakuw dumien no agya de hyiraa wɔn; obiara ne sɛnea ɛfata no.
Yakob Wu Ne Ne Sie
29Yakob rebewu no, ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn hyɛɛ wɔn se, “Aka kakraa bi, na wɔrebɛfa me akɔka me mpanyimfo ho. Sɛ miwu a, munsie me wɔ ɔboda a ɛwɔ Hetini Efron afuw a wosiee me mpanyimfo wɔ mu no mu. 30Ɛno ne ɔboda ne afuw a ɛwɔ Makpela, a ɛbɛn Mamrɛ a ɛwɔ Kanaan asase so no. Abraham tɔɔ saa ɔboda no fii Hetini Efron nkyɛn, de yɛɛ amusiei. 31Saa ɔboda no mu na wosiee Abraham ne ne yere Sara. Ɛhɔ ara nso na wosiee Isak ne ne yere Rebeka, na misiee Lea nso. 32Me nena Abraham tɔɔ afuw no ne ɔboda a ɛka ho no nyinaa fii Hetifo no nkyɛn.”
33Bere a Yakob kasa kyerɛɛ ne mma no wiee no, ɔmaa ne nan so guu ne mpa so wui. Wokosiee no wɔ ne mpanyimfo nkyɛn.
