Genesis 49 (NDE)

1UJakhobe wabiza amadodana akhe wathi: “Sondelani eduze ngilitshele lokho okuzakwenzakala kini ensukwini ezizayo.Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come:

2Buthanani lilalele, madodana kaJakhobe, lalelani kuyihlo u-Israyeli.Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

3URubheni, ulizibulo lami, amandla ami, isibonakaliso sokuqala samandla ami, ukuphelela ngodumo, ukuphelela ngamandla.Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

4Uhlokoma njengamanzi, kawusayikuba liciko, ngoba wakhwela embhedeni kayihlo, waya phezu kwesihlalo sami wasingcolisa.Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch, and defiled it.

5USimiyoni loLevi bayizelamani inkemba zabo yizikhali zodlakela.Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.

6Mangingangeni enkundleni yabo, mangingangeni emhlanganweni wabo, ngoba bababulala abantu ngokuthukuthela kwabo njalo inkabi baziquma imisipha santando.May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim.

7Luqalekisiwe ulaka lwabo, lwesabeka kubi, lentukuthelo yabo, ilesihluku esibi! Ngizakubachithiza kuJakhobe, njalo ngibahlakaze ko-Israyeli.Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

8Juda, abafowenu bazakudumisa; isandla sakho sizakuba sentanyeni yezitha zakho; amadodana kayihlo azakukhothamela.Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

9Ungumdlwane wesilwane, Oh Juda; uvela ekuzingeleni, ndodana yami. Njengesilwane uyacathama alale phansi, njengesilwanekazi, ngubani olesibindi sokumhlokoza?Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

10Intonga yobukhosi kayiyikusuka kuJuda, loba umqwayi wombusi phakathi kwezinyawo zakhe, aze ayofika kumnini wayo lokulalela kwezizwe kukuye.The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

11Uzabophela ubabhemi wakhe evinini, inkonyane kababhemi wakhe ogatsheni oluhle; uzagezisa izembatho zakhe ngewayini, izigqoko zakhe egazini lamagrebisi.He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

12Amehlo akhe azathuba okudlula iwayini, amazinyo akhe abe mhlophe kulochago.His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

13UZebhuluni uzahlala okhunjini lolwandle abe litheku lemikhumbi; umngcele wakhe uzaqhelela eSidoni.Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.

14U-Isakhari ulithambo likababhemi elilohlonzi olele ephahlwe ngamasaka amabili emithwalo.Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.

15Uthi nxa ebona ubuhle bendawo yakhe yokuphumula lokubukeka kwelizwe lakhe, uzakwehlisa ihlombe lakhe ukuthwala umthwalo azimisele emsebenzini wesigqili.He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.

16UDani uzakwahlulela kahle abantu bakibo njengesinye sezizwe zako-Israyeli.Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17UDani uzakuba yinyoka esemgwaqweni, inhlangwana elele endleleni, eluma izithende zebhiza ukuze umgadi walo atshelele aye emuva.He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

18Ngilindele ukuhlenga kwakho, Oh Thixo.I await Your salvation, O LORD.

19UGadi uzahlaselwa liqula lamanxusa, kodwa uzabahlasela bamuphe izithende zabo.Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels.

20Ukudla kuka-Asheri kuzakuba ngokunonileyo, uzakupha okumnandi okufanele inkosi.Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies.

21UNafithali yimpalakazi ekhululiweyo ezala amazinyane amahle.Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.

22UJosefa ulivini elithela kakhulu, ivini elithela kakhulu eduze komthombo, elimagatsha alo akhwela emdulini.Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.

23Abahlaseli bemitshoko bamhlasela ngolaka; bamciba ngenzondo embi.The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.

24Kodwa kawalazelanga ngedandili lakhe, ingalo zakhe eziqinileyo zala zilokhu ziqinile ngenxa yesandla soMninimandla kaJakhobe, ngenxa kaMalusi, iDwala lika-Israyeli,Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25ngenxa kaNkulunkulu kayihlo, okusizayo, ngenxa kaSomandla okubusisayo ngezibusiso zasezulwini ngaphezulu, izibusiso zolwandle olungaphansi, izibusiso zebele lenzalo.by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you, with blessings of the heavens above, with blessings of the depths below, with blessings of the breasts and womb.

26Izibusiso zikayihlo zinkulu kulezibusiso zezintaba zekadeni, kulezithelo zamaqaqa adabuka endulo. Zonke lezi kazehlele ekhanda likaJosefa, ebunzini lenkosana phakathi kwabafowabo.The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

27UBhenjamini yimpisi ephangayo; ekuseni uyakudlithiza akujimbileyo, ntambama akwabe.”Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28Zonke lezi yizizwana ezilitshumi lambili zako-Israyeli, njalo yikho lokho uyise akutsho kubo lapho wayebabusisa, esipha ilowo lalowo isibusiso esimfaneleyo.These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

29Emva kwalokho wasebanika imilayo le: “Sekusondele ukuba ngimbelwe ebantwini bakithi. Lingimbele labokhokho ebhalwini ensimini ka-Efroni umHithi,Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

30ubhalu olusensimini kaMakhaphela, eduze leMamure eKhenani, eyathengwa ngu-Abhrahama kanye lensimu leyo ku-Efroni umHithi, ukuba yindawo yokungcwaba.The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

31Khonapho kwangcwatshwa u-Abhrahama lomkakhe uSara, kwembelwa u-Isaka lomkakhe uRabheka, njalo khonapho ngambela uLeya.There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.

32Insimu kanye lobhalu oluphakathi kwathengwa kumaHithi.”The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

33Kwathi uJakhobe eseqedile ukunika imilayezo emadodaneni akhe, wakhweza inyawo zakhe embhedeni, waphefumula okokucina, wasiwa kwabakibo.When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.

Genesis 49

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Genesis 49

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