The Last Words of Jacob
1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the future:
2 “Come together and listen, sons of Jacob.
Listen to your father Israel.
3 “Reuben, my first-born, you are my strength
And the first child of my manhood,
The proudest and strongest of all my sons.
4 You are like a raging flood,
But you will not be the most important,
For you slept with my concubine
And dishonored your father's bed.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.
They use their weapons to commit violence.
6 I will not join in their secret talks,
Nor will I take part in their meetings,
For they killed people in anger
And they crippled bulls for sport.
7 A curse be on their anger, because it is so fierce,
And on their fury, because it is so cruel.
I will scatter them throughout the land of Israel.
I will disperse them among its people.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You hold your enemies by the neck.
Your brothers will bow down before you.
9 Judah is like a lion,
Killing his victim and returning to his den,
Stretching out and lying down.
No one dares disturb him.
10 Judah will hold the royal scepter,
And his descendants will always rule.
Nations will bring him tribute
And bow in obedience before him.
11 He ties his young donkey to a grapevine,
To the very best of the vines.
He washes his clothes in blood-red wine.
12 His eyes are bloodshot from drinking wine,
His teeth white from drinking milk.
13 “Zebulun will live beside the sea.
His shore will be a haven for ships.
His territory will reach as far as Sidon.
14 “Issachar is no better than a donkey
That lies stretched out between its saddlebags.
15 But he sees that the resting place is good
And that the land is delightful.
So he bends his back to carry the load
And is forced to work as a slave.
16 “Dan will be a ruler for his people.
They will be like the other tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake at the side of the road,
A poisonous snake beside the path,
That strikes at the horse's heel,
So that the rider is thrown off backward.
18 “I wait for your deliverance, Lord.
19 “Gad will be attacked by a band of robbers,
But he will turn and pursue them.
20 “Asher's land will produce rich food.
He will provide food fit for a king.
21 “Naphtali is a deer that runs free,
Who bears lovely fawns.
22 “Joseph is like a wild donkey by a spring,
A wild colt on a hillside.
23 His enemies attack him fiercely
And pursue him with their bows and arrows.
24 But his bow remains steady,
And his arms are made strong
By the power of the Mighty God of Jacob,
By the Shepherd, the Protector of Israel.
25 It is your father's God who helps you,
The Almighty God who blesses you
With blessings of rain from above
And of deep waters from beneath the ground,
Blessings of many cattle and children,
26 Blessings of grain and flowers,
Blessings of ancient mountains,
Delightful things from everlasting hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,
On the brow of the one set apart from his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is like a vicious wolf.
Morning and evening he kills and devours.”
28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he spoke a suitable word of farewell to each son.
The Death and Burial of Jacob
29 Then Jacob commanded his sons, “Now that I am going to join my people in death, bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 at Machpelah east of Mamre in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought this cave and field from Ephron for a burial ground. 31 That is where they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; that is where they buried Isaac and his wife Rebecca; and that is where I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites. Bury me there.” 33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he lay back down and died.
Jakob ma sere ovazandu ve ondaya
1 Jakob wa isana ovazandu ve na tja: “Woronganeye, mbi mu raere imbi mbi mavi tjitwa ku eṋe moruveze ndu maru ya.
2 Vazandu vandje, woronganeye mu puratene,
purateneye ku iho Israel!
3 “Ruben, everi randje, oove omasa wandje,
nu oove omuatje wandje omutenga wourumendu wandje;
ngu wa tunduuka mondangu na momasa.
4 Ove u ri otja omupupo.
Nungwari ko nokurira ohongora,
orondu tjinga awa ya kombete nomukazendu
omumbanda waiho no yeta eṋi kombete yandje.
Wa tengurura ombete yaiho!
5 “Simeon na Levi owo omarumbi.
Owo mave ungurisa ovirwise vyawo okutjita outwe.
6 Ami hi nakuwana nomahungi wawo womongumumu.
Omutima wandje kau nakuwana nozombongarero zawo,
orondu owo va zepa ovarumendu momazenge wawo,
nave pihura ozondwezu zozongombe mokuhinakonatja.
7 Omazenge wawo ngaye sengwe,
orondu owo omanyone, noundandi wawo wina, orondu owo outwe.
Nami meve handjaura mehi ra Jakob;
ne ve rimbi mokati kOvaisrael.
8 “Juda, ovangu voye mave ku tanga.
Ove mo ṋiṋikizire omunavita na ove pehi.
Ovazandu vaiho mave rikotamene komurungu woye.
9 Juda ongeyama omutanda.
Ove wa yerururwa i ovipundwa, muzandu wandje.
Juda u riṱuta no nyaturuka tjimuna ongeyama ondwezu poo onḓenḓu.
Owaṋi ngu ma yenene okumutoka?
10 Okati kouhona kake nokuza ko ku Juda,
nandarire okati kouvara kamaake zu po pozombaze ze nga omuini tji meya;
noviwaṋa mavi kara nonḓuviro ku ye.
11 Eye ma kutu okasino ke
okamutanda korutavi rwomuvite,
nokatwiyona komuvite omutoororwa;
eye ma koho ozombanda ze momavinu womuvite,
nongwava ye momavinu omaserandu ombinḓu.
12 Omeho we omaṱumbe pomavinu,
nomayo we omavapa pomaihi.
13 “Sebulon ma tura kuṱa komukuro wokuvare,
komukuro pu mape kara ozondjuwozomomeva;
nomuruko wehi re mau tandavara nga kOsidon.
14 “Isakar eye okasino komaṱupa omanamasa,
ku ke saravara pokati koviunda.
15 Neye tja munu kutja poṋa pomasuviro opopawa
nehi enyandise,
otja pete etambo re okutoora omutwaro,
na rire omukarere okuungura oviungura ovizeu.
16 “Dan ma rire omunane wotjiwaṋa tje,
otjo matji kara otja ngamwa otjiwaṋa atjihe tjoviwaṋa vya Israel.
17 Dan ma rire onyoka yomondjira,
okambiri komokaira
ku ke veta motjikoti tjokakambe
kutja omukavire a naterwe kongotwe.
18 “Muhona Ndjambi, ami me undju ombatero yoye.
19 “Gad ma pamisiwa i ovimbumba vyovapunde,
nungwari ma teza ozondambo zawo ne ve ramba.
20 “Aser, ovikurya vye vya takavara;
eye ma eta ovikurya mbya pwa kombara.
21 “Naftali ongoṱu ohangauke,
ngu hungira omambo omawa.
22 “Josef omuti wovihape omutanda,
omuti wovihape omutanda mbu ri meṋe yoruharwi;
otutavi twawo matu tanana kekuma.
23 Ovayumbe voviku mave mu toko
nave mu yaha nave mu wisa.
24 Nungwari outa we wa kara nomasa,
nomaoko nomake we ya kuturwa i omasa wa Ndjambi,
Omunamasa wa Jakob,
mena rOmurise, Oruuwa rwa Israel;
25 Ndjambi waiho me ku vatere;
Ndjambi Omunamasaaehe me ku sere ondaya
nozondaya zeyuru okuza kombanda,
nozondaya zomeva nge ri mourekoto kehi yehi,
nozondaya komavere na kezumo.
26 Ondaya yaiho mai tanana ozondaya zozondundu ozonguru,
oyo oviyandjewa oviwa vyovivanda vyaaruhe;
ngai kare kotjiuru tja Josef
na kondomba yotjiuru tjaumwe ngwa toororwa mokati komarumbi we.
27 “Benjamin ombungu onyondorore;
omuhuka ma sasaura ihi tja zepa, nu ongurova ma haṋa ihi tja pundu.”
28 Imba avehe kumwe ombe ri omihoko omurongo na vivari vya Israel, nu inga onga hungirwa i ihe yawo ku wo. Eye we ve sera ondaya, a yandja ku auhe ondaya ndja yenene ku ye.
Onḓiro ya Jakob
29 Nu Jakob we ve rakiza na tja ku wo: “Ami mbi ri pokuworonganisirwa pomuhoko wandje. Kendjipakeye puna ootate mondimba, ndji ri mehi ra Efron, Omuhetite. 30 Ondimba ndji i ri kOmakpela komukuma wokomuhuka wa Mamre mehi ra Kanaan. Abraham we i randere pamwe na indi ehi ku Efron, Omuhetite, ri rire ehi romapakero. 31 Imbo opu va paka Abraham nomukazendu we Sara; nopu va paka Isak nomukazendu we Rebeka; nami wina opu mba paka Lea. 32 Ehi na indji ondimba ndji ri mu ro vya randwa kOvahetite.” 33 Nu Jakob tja mana okuyandja omarakiza kovazandu ve, arire tja hutu ozombaze ze mombete na koka, na kahorekwa pomuhoko we.
