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.
Yakobo Adalitsa Ana ake Aamuna
1Pambuyo pake Yakobo anayitanitsa ana ake aamuna nati: Sonkhanani pamodzi kuti ndikuwuzeni zimene zidzakuchitikireni mʼmasiku a mʼtsogolo.
2“Bwerani ndipo imvani mawu anga, inu ana a Yakobo;
mverani abambo anu Israeli.
3“Rubeni, ndiwe woyamba kubadwa;
mphamvu yanga ndiponso chizindikiro choyamba cha mphamvu zanga,
wopambana pa ulemerero ndi mphamvu.
4Wokokoma ngati madzi a chigumula, koma sudzakhalanso wopambana,
iwe unagona pa bedi la abambo ako,
ndithu unayipitsa bedi la mdzakazi wake.
5“Simeoni ndi Levi ndi pachibale pawo,
anachitira nkhanza anthu amene anachita nawo pangano.
6Iwe moyo wanga, usakhale nawo pa misonkhano yawo ya mseri,
kapena kugwirizana nawo mʼmabwalo awo,
pakuti anapha anthu mu mkwiyo wawo
ndipo anapundula ngʼombe zamphongo monga kunawakomera.
7Matemberero awagwere chifukwa cha mkwiyo wawo woopsa chonchi
ndi ukali wawo wankhanza choterewu!
Ine ndidzawabalalitsa mʼdziko la Yakobo
ndi kuwamwaza iwo mʼdziko la Israeli.
8“Yuda, ndiwe amene abale ako adzatamanda;
dzanja lako lidzagwira pa khosi pa adani ako;
abale ako adzakugwadira iwe.
9Yuda ali ngati mwana wa mkango;
umabwerera ku malo ako ndi zofunkha, mwana wanga.
Monga mkango, amadziwongola ndi kugona pansi,
ndipo ngati mkango waukazi, ndani angalimbe mtima kumudzutsa?
10Ndodo yaufumu sidzachoka mwa Yuda,
udzawupanirira ulamuliro motero kuti palibe amene adzawuchotse,
mpaka mwini wake weniweni atabwera
ndipo mitundu yonse ya anthu idzamumvera.
11Ndiye amene amamangirira bulu wake wamkazi kumtengo wa mpesa,
ndi mwana wa bulu ku nthambi ya mpesa wabwino.
Ndi iye amene amachapa zovala zake mu vinyo;
ndi mkanjo wake mu vinyo wofiira ngati magazi.
12Maso ake adzakhala akuda chifukwa cha vinyo,
mano ake woyera chifukwa cha mkaka.
13“Zebuloni adzakhala mʼmphepete mwa nyanja;
adzakhala pa dooko la sitima zapamadzi;
malire ake adzafika ku Sidoni.
14“Isakara ali ngati bulu wamphamvu
wogona pansi pakati pa makola.
15Ataona ubwino wake wa pamalo pake popumira
ndi kukongola kwa dziko lake,
iye anaweramutsa msana kuti anyamule katundu wake
ndipo anasanduka wogwira ntchito ya ukapolo.
16“Dani adzaweruza mwachilungamo anthu ake
monga limodzi mwa mafuko a anthu a mu Israeli.
17Dani adzakhala ngati njoka ya mʼmphepete mwa msewu,
songo yokhala mʼnjira
imene imaluma chidendene cha kavalo
kuti wokwerapoyo agwe chagada.
18“Ndikuyembekeza chipulumutso chanu Yehova.
19“Gadi adzachitidwa chiwembu ndi gulu la amaliwongo,
koma iye adzawathamangitsa.
20“Dziko la Aseri lidzabereka chakudya chokoma,
ndipo iye adzapereka chakudya kwa mafumu.
21“Nafutali ali ngati mbawala yayikazi
yokhala ndi ana okongola kwambiri.
22“Yosefe ali ngati mtengo wobereka zipatso,
mtengo wobereka zipatso pafupi ndi kasupe,
nthambi zake zimayanga pa chipupa cha mwala.
23Alenje a uta anamuchita chiwembu mwankhanza;
anamuthamangitsa ndi mauta awo.
24Koma uta wake sunagwedezeke,
ndi manja ake amphamvu aja analimbika,
chifukwa cha mphamvu za Mulungu Wamphamvu wa Yakobo,
chifukwa ali Mʼbusa ndi Thanthwe la Israeli.
25Chifukwa cha Mulungu wa makolo ako amene amakuthandiza;
chifukwa cha Mulungu Wamphamvu, amene amakudalitsa
ndi mvula yochokera kumwamba,
ndi madzi otumphuka pansi pa nthaka,
ndipo amakudalitsa pokupatsa ana ambiri ndi ngʼombe zambiri.
26Madalitso a kholo lako ndi amphamvu kuposa
madalitso a mapiri akale
oposa zabwino za ku zitunda zamgonagona.
Zonse izi zikhale pamutu pa Yosefe,
pa mphumi pa wopatulika uja amene anapatulidwa pakati pa abale ake.
27“Benjamini ali ngati mʼmbulu wolusa;
umene mmawa umapha ndi kudya zofunkha,
ndipo madzulo umagawa zofunkhazo,”
28Onse awa ndi mafuko khumi ndi awiri a Israeli, ndipo zimenezi ndi zomwe abambo awo ananena pamene anawadalitsa, kuwapatsa aliyense madalitso ake womuyenera iye.
Kumwalira kwa Yakobo
29Kenaka Yakobo analamula ana ake nati: “Ine ndatsala pangʼono kufa. Tsono mukandiyike pamodzi ndi makolo anga mʼphanga la mʼmunda wa Efroni Mhiti. 30Ili ndi phanga la mʼmunda wa Makipela, pafupi ndi Mamre mʼdziko la Kanaani. Abrahamu anagula phangalo pamodzi ndi munda womwe kwa Efroni Mhiti kuti pakhale manda. 31Kumeneko kunayikidwa Abrahamu ndi mkazi wake Sara, Isake ndi mkazi wake Rebeka ndipo ndinayikakonso Leya. 32Munda ndi manda amene ali mʼmenemo zinagulidwa kwa Ahiti.”
33Yakobo atamaliza kupereka malangizo kwa ana ake, anabwezera miyendo yake pa bedi, namwalira ndipo anakakhala ndi anthu a mtundu wake.
