Jacob blesses his sons
1Then Jacob called for his sons and said: ‘Gather round so that I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2‘Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.
3‘Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honour, excelling in power.
4Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.
5‘Simeon and Levi are brothers –
their swords49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. are weapons of violence.
6Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.
8‘Judah,49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise. your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9You are a lion’s cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness – who dares to rouse him?
10The sceptre will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,49:10 Or from his descendants
until he to whom it belongs49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
12His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk
13‘Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend towards Sidon.
14‘Issachar is a scrawny49:14 Or strong donkey
lying down among the sheepfolds.49:14 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
15When he sees how good is his resting-place
and how pleasant is his land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and submit to forced labour.
16‘Dan49:16 Dan here means he provides justice. will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17Dan will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backwards.
18‘I look for your deliverance, Lord.
19‘Gad49:19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders. will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.
20‘Asher’s food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.
21‘Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.49:21 Or free; / he utters beautiful words
22‘Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.49:22 Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill
23With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
24But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed49:23,24 Or archers will attack… will shoot… will remain… will stay supple,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25because of your father’s God, who helps you,
because of the Almighty,49:25 Hebrew Shaddai who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below,
blessings of the breast and womb.
26Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than49:26 Or of my progenitors, / as great as the bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among49:26 Or of the one separated from his brothers.
27‘Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder.’
28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.
The death of Jacob
29Then he gave them these instructions: ‘I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 31There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.49:32 Or the descendants of Heth’
33When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
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.
