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.
Jakubu Kũrathima ariũ Ake
149:1 Ndar 24:14; Gũcook 31:29Ningĩ Jakubu agĩtũmanĩra ariũ ake, akĩmeera atĩrĩ: “Cookanĩrĩrai haha nĩgeetha ndĩmwĩre ũrĩa gũgekĩka kũrĩ inyuĩ matukũ-inĩ marĩa magooka.
249:2 Josh 24:1; Thab 34:11“Ũnganai na mũthikĩrĩrie, inyuĩ ariũ a Jakubu;
thikĩrĩriai Isiraeli ithe wanyu.
349:3 Kĩam 29:32; Gũcook 21:17; Thab 78:51“Rubeni, ũrĩ irigithathi rĩakwa,
ũhoti wakwa, kĩonithania kĩa mbere kĩa hinya wakwa;
ũkĩrĩte arĩa angĩ na gũtĩĩka, ũkamakĩra na hinya.
4Wagagĩte ta maaĩ, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndũgũcooka gũkĩra arĩa angĩ,
tondũ nĩwahaicire ũrĩrĩ wa thoguo,
ũgĩthaahia ũrĩrĩ wakwa.
549:5 Kĩam 29:33; Thim 4:17“Simeoni na Lawi nĩ a nyina ũmwe,
hiũ ciao cia njora nĩ indo cia mbaara cia ũhinya.
649:6 Thim 1:15; Aef 5:11Ngoro yakwa ndũkanatoonye ndundu-inĩ yao,
ndũkananyiitane na kĩũngano kĩao,
nĩgũkorwo nĩmooragĩte andũ marakarĩte,
na magatemanga ndegwa magũrũ macithuithie o ũrĩa mangĩendire.
749:7 Josh 19:1, 9; Kĩam 29:35Marakara mao mahiũ mũno,
na mangʼũrĩ mao matarĩ tha, maronyiitwo nĩ kĩrumi.
Ngaamaharagania thĩinĩ wa Jakubu
na ndĩmahurunjĩre thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli.
849:8 1Maũ 5:2; Gũcook 28:48“Juda, ariũ a thoguo nĩmagagũkumia;
nakuo guoko gwaku nĩgũgatooria thũ ciaku;
ariũ a thoguo nĩmagakũinamĩrĩra.
949:9 Ndar 24:9; Ayub 38:39Juda, we ũrĩ kĩana kĩa mũrũũthi, mũrũ wakwa;
we ũcookaga kuuma ũguĩmi-inĩ ũhũũnĩte ũguĩmi waku.
O ta mũrũũthi-rĩ, ethunaga na agakoma thĩ,
o ta mũrũũthi wa mũgoma-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩthĩgĩrĩria kũmwarahũra?
1049:10 Ezek 21:27; Isa 42:1Rũthanju rwa ũthamaki rũtikoima harĩ Juda,
o na kana rũthanju rwa ũnene rũthenge gatagatĩ-inĩ ka magũrũ make,
o nginya agooka ũrĩa mwene ruo,
o we ũrĩa ũgaathĩkagĩrwo nĩ thĩ.
11Akoohagĩrĩra ndigiri yake mũthabibũ-inĩ,
nayo njaũ yake ya ndigiri amĩohagĩrĩre rũhonge-inĩ rũrĩa rwega mũno.
Agaathambagia nguo ciake na ndibei,
na kanjũ ciake na ũtune wa thabibũ.
12Maitho make makaira gũkĩra ndibei,
namo magego make merũhe gũkĩra iria.
1349:13 Kĩam 30:20; Kĩam 10:19“Zebuluni agaatũũra hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia iria,
na atuĩke handũ hega ha gũikaragwo nĩ marikabu;
mĩhaka yake ĩgaakinya o Sidoni.
14“Isakaru nĩ ndigiri ĩrĩa ĩrĩ hinya ĩkomete gatagatĩ ka mĩrigo ĩĩrĩ.
1549:15 Josh 19:17-23; Ezek 29:18Rĩrĩa akoona ũrĩa ũhurũko wake ũrĩ mwega,
na ũrĩa bũrũri wake wagĩrĩte-rĩ,
no rĩo akainamĩrĩria kĩande gĩake akuue mĩrigo,
na etĩkĩre kũruta wĩra ũtarĩ mũcaara.
16“Dani agaaciirĩrĩra andũ ake na kĩhooto,
arĩ ta mũhĩrĩga ũmwe wa Isiraeli.
1749:17 Atiir 18:27; Jer 8:17Dani agaatuĩka ta nyoka ĩrĩ mũkĩra-inĩ wa njĩra,
atuĩke ta nduĩra ĩrĩ gacĩra-inĩ,
ĩrĩa ĩrũmaga ndiira cia mbarathi,
na tondũ ũcio mũmĩtwarithia akagũa na ngara.
18“Wee Jehova-rĩ, njetereire kũhonokania gwaku.
19“Gadi nĩagatharĩkĩrwo nĩ ikundi cia atunyani,
nowe nĩagacitharĩkĩra aciingatithie.
2049:20 Kĩam 30:13; Isa 25:6; Ayub 29:6“Irio cia Asheri nĩ cia kũguna mwĩrĩ;
na akaaheanaga irio njega ingĩkenia mũthamaki.
21“Nafitali nĩ ta thiiya ya mũgoma ĩrekereirio,
ĩrĩa ĩciaraga tũthiiya tũthaka.
2249:22 Kĩam 30:24; Ezek 19:10“Jusufu nĩ mũthabibũ ũrĩa ũciaraga,
mũthabibũ ũrĩa ũciaraga ũrĩ hakuhĩ na gĩthima,
ũrĩa honge ciaguo itambagĩrĩra rũthingo.
23Aikia a mĩguĩ nĩmamũtharĩkĩire marĩ na marũrũ;
makĩmũikĩria mĩguĩ marĩ na ũũru mũingĩ.
2449:24 Thab 18:34; Isa 1:24No ũta wake ndwenyenyekire,
moko make marĩ hinya magĩikara merũmĩtie nĩ ũndũ wa guoko kwa Mwene-Hinya wa Jakubu, na nĩ ũndũ wa Mũrĩithi,
o we Ihiga rĩa Isiraeli,
2549:25 Thaam 18:4; Kĩam 27:28nĩ ũndũ wa Ngai wa thoguo, ũrĩa ũgũteithagia,
na tondũ wa Mwene-Hinya-Wothe,
ũrĩa ũkũrathimaga na irathimo cia igũrũ,
na irathimo cia kũrĩa kũriku mũhuro wa thĩ,
o na irathimo cia nyondo na cia nda.
26Irathimo cia thoguo nĩ makĩria ma irathimo cia irĩma iria cia tene,
na nĩ makĩria ma ũtonga wa tũrĩma tũrĩa tũkũrũ.
Ici ciothe nĩirekwo ihurũke mũtwe-inĩ wa Jusufu,
o thiithi-inĩ wa ũcio ũhaana ta mwana wa mũthamaki harĩ ariũ a ithe.
2749:27 Atiir 20:12-13; Ahib 1:8; Ndar 31:11“Benjamini ahaana ta njũũi ĩrĩa ngoroku;
kĩroko-inĩ atambuuraga kĩrĩa aguĩmĩte,
hwaĩ-inĩ akagayania kĩrĩa atahĩte.”
28Ĩyo yothe nĩyo mĩhĩrĩga ĩrĩa ikũmi na ĩĩrĩ ya Isiraeli, na ũguo nĩguo ithe wao aameerire rĩrĩa aamarathimaga, akĩhe o mũndũ kĩrathimo kĩrĩa kĩamwagĩrĩire.
Gĩkuũ kĩa Jakubu
2949:29 Kĩam 25:8; 2Sam 2:32Ningĩ Jakubu akĩmahe mawatho maya: “Ndĩ hakuhĩ gũkua. Mũgaathika harĩa maithe makwa mathikĩtwo, ngurunga-inĩ ĩrĩa ĩrĩ gĩthaka-inĩ kĩa Efironi ũrĩa Mũhiti, 30ngurunga ĩrĩa ĩrĩ gĩthaka-inĩ kĩa Makipela hakuhĩ na Mamure kũu Kaanani, ĩrĩa Iburahĩmu aagũranĩirie na gĩthaka kĩu, ĩrĩ handũ ha gũthikana, kuuma kũrĩ Efironi ũrĩa Mũhiti. 3149:31 Kĩam 25:9; Kĩam 23:19Hau nĩho Iburahĩmu na mũtumia wake Sara maathikirwo, na no ho Isaaka na Rebeka mũtumia wake maathikirwo, na no ho ndaathikire Lea. 32Gĩthaka kĩu na ngurunga ĩyo ciagũrirwo kuuma kũrĩ Ahethi.”
3349:33 Kĩam 25:8; Atũm 7:15Nake Jakubu aarĩkia kũhe ariũ ake ũhoro ũcio-rĩ, agĩthuna magũrũ make arĩ o gĩtanda-inĩ, agĩtuĩkana, agĩcookanĩrĩrio kũrĩ andũ ao arĩa maakuĩte.
