Jacob Blesses His Sons
1 Jacob called his sons together and said:
My sons, I am Jacob,
your father Israel.
2 Come, gather around,
as I tell your future.
3 Reuben, you are my oldest,
born at the peak of my powers;
you were an honored leader.
4 Uncontrollable as a flood,
you slept with my wife
and disgraced my bed.
And so you no longer deserve
the place of honor.
5 Simeon and Levi,
you are brothers,
each a gruesome sword.
6 I never want to take part
in your plans or deeds.
You slaughtered people
in your anger,
and you crippled cattle
for no reason.
7 Now I place a curse on you
because of
your fierce anger.
Your descendants
will be scattered
among the tribes of Israel.
8 Judah, you will be praised
by your brothers;
they will bow down to you,
as you defeat your enemies.
9 My son, you are a lion
ready to eat your victim!
You are terribly fierce;
no one will bother you.
10 You will have power and rule
until nations obey you
and come bringing gifts.
11 You will tie your donkey
to a choice grapevine
and wash your clothes
in wine from those grapes.
12 Your eyes are darker than wine,
your teeth whiter than milk.
13 Zebulun, you will settle
along the seashore
and provide safe harbors
as far north as Sidon.
14 Issachar, you are a strong donkey
resting in the meadows.
15 You found them so pleasant
that you worked too hard
and became a slave.
16 Dan, you are the tribe
that will bring justice
to Israel.
17 You are a snake that bites
the heel of a horse,
making its rider fall.
18 Our Lord, I am waiting
for you to save us.
19 Gad, you will be attacked,
then attack your attackers.
20 Asher, you will eat food
fancy enough for a king.
21 Naphtali, you are a wild deer
with lovely fawns.
22 Joseph, you are a fruitful vine
growing near a stream
and climbing a wall.
23 Enemies attacked with arrows,
refusing to show mercy.
24 But you stood your ground,
swiftly shooting back
with the help of Jacob's God,
the All-Powerful One—
his name is the Shepherd,
Israel's mighty rock.
25 Your help came from the God
your father worshiped,
from God All-Powerful.
God will bless you with rain
and streams from the earth;
he will bless you
with many descendants.
26 My son, the blessings I give
are better than the promise
of ancient mountains
or eternal hills.
Joseph, I pray these blessings
will come to you,
because you are the leader
of your brothers.
27 Benjamin, you are a fierce wolf,
destroying your enemies
morning and evening.
28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is how Jacob gave each of them their proper blessings.
Jacob's Death
29-31 Jacob told his sons:
Soon I will die, and I want you to bury me in Machpelah Cave. Abraham bought this cave as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, and it is near the town of Mamre in Canaan. Abraham and Sarah are buried there, and so are Isaac and Rebekah. I buried Leah there too. 32 Both the cave and the land that goes with it were bought from the Hittites.
33 When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he lay down on his bed and died.
Jakob ta yambeke oyana
1 Jakob okwi ithana oyana e ta ti kuyo: “Gongaleni, notandi ke mu hokololela shoka tamu ka ningilwa komasiku gokomeho:
2 “Ileni pamwe, mu pulakene,
ne aana yaJakob.
Pulakeneni ho Israel shoka te mu lombwele.
3 “Reuben, ngoye osheeli shandje, oonkondo dhandje,
osheeli shuukolele wandje,
osheeli mesimano nomondjundo,
u vule aamwanyoko.
4 Owa fuluka wa fa omeya, hangoye to ningi omukuluntu,
oshoka wa londele kombete yaho, nowe yi nyateke.
Eeno, owa londele kontala yandje.
5 “Simeon naLevi aantu namumwayina.
Omagongamwele gawo ohaga dhipaga.
6 Itandi zimine oonkundathana dhawo,
itandi kala moshigongi shawo,
oshoka ya dhipaga aalumentu mondjahi,
nomuuntsa wawo oya lemaneke oontsezi.
7 Ondjahi yawo nayi thingwe,
oshoka oya pindjala.
Uupyakadhi wawo nau thingwe,
oshoka kau na ohenda.
Otandi ya napeke mokati kaJakob,
otandi ya halakanithile muIsrael.
8 “Juda, aamwanyoko otaye ku tanga.
Oshikaha shoye osha kwata ekothi lyaatondi yoye.
Aamwanyoko otaa inyongamene koshipala shoye.
9 Juda oku li po a fa onkoshi, ya kwata oshihakanwa shayo
e tayi shuna mekololo lyayo tayi inana ya taandela pevi.
Kape na ngoka ta vulu oku mu pendutha.
10 Ondhimbo yuukwaniilwa itayi zi mo muJuda nepangelo moluvalo lwe,
sigo taku ya ngoka te li pewa,
ngoka iigwana tayi vulika kuye.
11 Ota pandekele okasino ke pomuviinu
nokasinogona ke opekota lyomuviinulela.
Oonguwo dhe ote dhi yogele momaviinu.
12 Omeho ge ga tiligana ngaashi omaviinu,
omayego ge ga tokithwa ga fa omahini.
13 “Sebulon ota ka kala pooha dhefuta,
mpoka tapu ka kala etulilo lyoosikepa.
Oshitopolwa she otashi ka adha sigo oSidon.
14 “Issaskar oye okasino ka kola
taka lala pokati kiigunda.
15 Okwa mono ko ehala lyaa na uupyakadhi,
nevi ndyoka olye mu opalele.
Ota petama a humbate ondjoko,
ta thiminikilwa iilonga yuupika.
16 “Dan ota tokolele aantu ye,
ongaakwawo haa tokolele omazimo gaIsrael.
17 Dan ota kala ngeyoka mepola,
a ontela a fa epili mondjila tali shomona okakambe mekondo,
nomukayili ta gu okafinyukila.
18 “Ehupitho lyoye, Omuwa,
otandi li tegelele.
19 “Gad ota matukilwa kekumbu,
ihe ote ya pilukile e te ya landula.
20 “Aser iikulya ye omagadhi,
ota ka gandja iitowale yo opalela aakwaniilwa.
21 “Naftali oye oholongo yi na ontuku,
oyana oyo opala.
22 Josef okwa fa omuti hagu imi,
omuti omutalala pomatondokelo
iitayi yagwo tayi taandele kekuma.
23 Oondjumbeta otadhi mu itakeke,
otadhi mu ponokele.
24 Ihe uuta we owa kola,
omaako ge oga pama.
Oga kolekwa kOmunankondo, Kalunga kaJakob,
okOmusita nokOmugameni gwaIsrael.
25 Kalunga kooho ne ku kwathe,
Kalunga Omunankondoawike ne ku yambeke.
Ne ku pe omayambeko taga zi megulu pombanda,
omayambeko gefundja mpaka pevi
nomayambeko gokomagundji nogomoshivalelo.
26 Omayambeko gaho oge vule ngeyaka gootatekulu,
oge vule eopalo lyoondundu dhaaluhe.
Omayambeko ngaka naga lambele komutse gwaJosef,
okomutse gwomuhogololwa mokati kaamwahe.
27 “Benjamin oye embungu hali lyana.
Ongula otali hutagula oshihakanwa shalyo,
ongulohi otali topola oshikwatwa shalyo.”
28 Ngaka ogo omazimo gaIsrael omulongo nagaali, noohapu dhomalaleko odho ndhika e dhi tumbulile moku ga yambeka kehe limwe neyambeko lye li opalela.
Eso lyaJakob
29 Jakob okwa lombwele oyana a ti: “Otandi yi nondjila yaakuuyuni ayehe; fumvikii ndje mekololo ndyoka li li meyana lyaEfron Omuheti, 30 puMakpela, kuuzilo waMamre, mevi lyaKaanan. Ekololo ndika neyana Abraham okwe li landa kuEfron, li ninge omayendo. 31 Omo tuu moka mwa fumvikwa Abraham nomukadhi Sara, omo mwa fumvikwa Isak nomukadhi Rebekka, nangame nda fumvike mo Lea. 32 Epya nekololo olya li lya landwa kAaheti. Omo tuu fumvikii ndje moka.” 33 Jakob sho a mana omautho ge koyana, okwa taandeleke omagulu ge e ta fudha mo omwenyo gwe, nokwa yi kooyinagulu.
