Jacob Blesses His Sons
1Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so 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 honor, 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 scepter 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 toward Sidon.
14“Issachar is a rawboned49:14 Or strong donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.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 labor.
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 backward.
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 limber,
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 Mmammarima
1Yakob frɛɛ ne mmammarima nyinaa ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Mommɛtwa me ho nhyia, na menka mo deɛ ɛbɛba mo so.
2“Yakob mmammarima, mommoaboa mo ho ano, na montie;
montie mo agya Israel.
3“Ruben, wo na woyɛ mʼabakan.
Wo na woyɛ me tumi ne mʼahoɔden nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ a ɛdi ɛkan a
ɛboro animuonyam ne tumi so.
4Woyɛ kirikiri sɛ asorɔkye, nanso worenkɔ so bio,
ɛfiri sɛ, woforoo wʼagya mpa ne ne yere kɔdaeɛ,
de guu mʼanim ase.
5“Simeon ne Lewi yɛ anuanom.
Wɔgyina hɔ ma basabasayɛ ne nsisie.
6Mma me nkɔka wɔn agyinatuo ho,
ɛfiri sɛ, wɔnam wɔn abufuo so akunkum nnipa,
na wɔkunkumm anantwie de gyee wɔn ani.
7Nnome nka wɔn abufuo, ɛfiri sɛ, ano yɛ den,
na ɛyɛ atirimuɔdensɛm!
Ɛno enti, mɛbɔ wɔn asefoɔ ahwete
Israelman mu nyinaa.
8“Yuda, wo nuammarimanom bɛyi wo ayɛ.
Wobɛsɛe wʼatamfoɔ nyinaa.
Wʼagya mmammarima bɛkoto wo.
9Ao, Yuda, woyɛ gyata ba a
woawe wʼatamfoɔ ɛnam awie.
Wote sɛ gyata a wabutu.
Hwan na ɔbɛtumi akɔka no?
10Ahempoma remfiri Yuda nsam,
na saa ara nso na ahempoma remfiri ne nan ntam,
kɔsi sɛ, deɛ ɛyɛ ne dea a aman nyinaa bɛtie no no bɛba.
11Ɔbɛsa nʼafunumu wɔ bobe dua mu.
Ɔde nʼafunumu ba bɛsa bobe pa mman mu.
Ɔbɛsi ne ntoma wɔ nsã mu,
na wasi nʼatadeɛ nso wɔ bobesa kɔɔ mu.
12Nʼaniwa aba bɛbiri asene bobesa.
Ne se bɛyɛ fitaa asene nufosuo.
13“Sebulon bɛtena mpoano.
Ɔbɛsisi ahyɛngyinabea ama ahyɛn.
Nʼahyeɛ so bɛtrɛ akɔsi Sidon.
14“Isakar yɛ afunumu hoɔdenfoɔ a
ɔbutu hɔ rehome wɔ nnwankuo mu.
15Sɛ ɔhunu sɛdeɛ nʼahomegyebea yɛ fa a,
ne sɛdeɛ nʼasase no so dwo a,
ɔbɛkuntunu agye adesoa,
na wapene so sɛ akoa ama ɔhyɛ adwuma.
16“Dan bɛbu ne manfoɔ atɛn
sɛ Israel mmusuakuo no baako.
17Dan bɛyɛ sɛ ɔtweaseɛ a ɔda kwankyɛn;
ɔbɛyɛ sɛ ahuritia a ɔnam tempɔn mu a
ɔka ɔpɔnkɔ nantin,
sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma ne sotefoɔ ate ahwe nʼakyiri.
18“Ao, Awurade, wo nkwagyeɛ na meretwɛn.
19“Nnipa bɔnefoɔ bɛto ahyɛ Gad so,
na ɔno nso bɛti wɔn ato ahyɛ wɔn so.
20“Aser aduane a ɔdi no bɛyɛ aduane pa.
Na ɔbɛma ahennuane a ɛyɛ akɔnnɔ.
21“Naftali te sɛ ɔforoteɛ a wɔagyaa no a
ɔwo mma ahoɔfɛfoɔ.
22“Yosef yɛ ngo dua a ɛso aba,
a ɛsi asutene ho,
na ne mman tra afasuo.
23Agyantofoɔ kaa no hyɛeɛ,
de abufuo to hyɛɛ ne so.
24Nanso, ne bɛma no gyinaa pintinn,
na ne basa mu yɛɛ den;
esiane Otumfoɔ Onyankopɔn a Yakob somm no no
a ɔyɛ odwanhwɛfoɔ ne Israel botantim no;
25esiane Onyankopɔn a wʼagya somm no a ɔboa wo no;
Otumfoɔ a ɔde ɔsoro nhyira bɛhyira wo;
nhyira a ɛfiri asase ase pɛɛ;
nhyira a ɛfiri nufoɔ ne yafunu mu no.
26Wʼagya nhyira a wɔahyira no no
bɛdɔɔso asene tete ntredee mmepɔ
ne nkokoɔ a ɛtintim hɔ daa no so nnɔbaeɛ.
Yeinom nyinaa mmra Yosef a ɔda mu fua
a wɔpaa no firii ne nuanom mu no so.
27“Benyamin yɛ pataku a ɔyɛ nam;
ɔbɔ aporɔ anɔpa, kye nʼahaboa we,
na ɛduru anwummerɛ a, ɔkyekyɛ ɛnam nkaeɛ no.”
28Yei ne nhyira a Israel mmusuakuo dumienu no agya de hyiraa wɔn; obiara ne sɛdeɛ ɛfata no.
Yakob Wuo Ne Ne Sie
29Yakob rebɛwuo no, ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn hyɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Aka kakraa bi, na wɔrebɛfa me akɔka me mpanimfoɔ ho. Sɛ mewu a, monsie me wɔ ɔboda a ɛwɔ Hetini Efron afuo a wɔsiee me mpanimfoɔ mu no mu. 30Ɛno ne ɔboda ne afuo a ɛwɔ Makpela, a ɛbɛn Mamrɛ a ɛwɔ Kanaan asase so no. Abraham tɔɔ saa ɔboda no firii Hetini Efron nkyɛn, de yɛɛ amusieeɛ. 31Saa ɔboda no mu na wɔsiee Abraham ne ne yere Sara. Ɛhɔ ara nso na wɔsiee Isak ne ne yere Rebeka, na mesiee Lea nso. 32Me nana Abraham tɔɔ afuo no ne ɔboda a ɛka ho no nyinaa firii Hetifoɔ no nkyɛn.”
33Ɛberɛ a Yakob kasa kyerɛɛ ne mma no wieeɛ no, ɔmaa ne nan so guu ne mpa so wuiɛ. Wɔkɔsiee no wɔ ne mpanimfoɔ nkyɛn.
