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 ta nangeke noupuna ovana vaye
1 Opo nee Jakob okwa ifana ovana vaye ovamati ndele ta ti: “Ileni, liongeleni, opo ndi shiive oku mu shiivifila eshi tashi mu hange pexulilo lomafiku:
2 “Liongeleni mu ude, nye ovana ovamati vaJakob;
pwilikineni Israel, xo yeni.
3 “Ruben, oove shiveli shange neenghono dange,
Oove wotete weenghono dange,
omukulunhu metumbalo, nomukulunhu mepangelo!
4 Wa fuluka ngaashi omeva; ndelenee ove ito ka kala omukulunhu,
osheshi owa londa kombete yaxo;
osho we i nyateka—ove wa londa kombete yange.
5 “Simeon naLevi, vo ovamwainafana.
Oiti yavo oilongifo youkolokoshi.
6 Omwenyo wange itau pande eenghundafana davo,
omutima wange itau kala neemhangela davo,
osheshi mehandu lavo va dipaa ovalumenhu,
nomoupwidi wavo va ngudupaleka eemhedi.
7 Ehandu lavo nali fingwe, osheshi lo ohali xwama diva,
Noupyuhandu wavo, osheshi oo udjuu.
Ame ohandi ke va tukula muJakob
noku va halakanifa muIsrael.
8 “Juda, oove tuu! Ove oto ka hambelelwa kovamwaxo.
Eke loye otali ka kala kofingo yovatondadi voye.
Koshipala shoye ovana vaxo otave ke linyongamena.
9 Juda onghoshi onyasha;
moihakanwa wa dja, omumwange.
Ye ote likoko, ndee ta nangala ngonghoshi,
ngaashi onghoshi onghadi. Olyelye ta dulu oku mu taataa?
10 Epangelodibo itali ka kufwa kuJuda
nodibo youhamba itai di po peemhadi daye.
Fiyo ou e na okuuya te uya,
noiwana tai ka dulika kuye.
11 Ye ota pandeke ondongi onyasha yaye komuviinyu,
nondongwena yondongi yonghadi yaye okeshila lomuviinyu.
Ye ota kosho oikutu yaye momaviinyu
nelwakani laye mohonde yeeviinyu.
12 Omesho aye a tilyana komaviinyu,
nomayoo a toka komashini.
13 “Sebulon ota ka kala pomunghulo wefuta,
ndee ta ka kala popepi neeskepa,
kombinga yokuSidon.
14 “Isaskar ondongi yomakipa a pama,
tai nangala pokati koyuunda.
15 Ye eshi a mona etulumuko oliwa
nedu la wapala,
ye okwa endameka epepe laye lokuhumbata omutengi,
ndele okwe liyandja a ninge omupika.
16 “Dan ota ka yukifila ovana vaye
ngaashi limwe lomomapata aIsrael.
17 Dan ota ka kala eyoka mondjila,
efu melila,
olo tali lumata pomhando yonghambe,
opo omulondi ta u ko ongali.
18 “Omwene, ohandi teelele exupifo loye!
19 “Gad, ovakwaita tave mu totele,
ndelenee ye ote va kwata koshififinwa.
20 “Asser, eendja daye di na omaadi,
ndele ta kongele eehamba oiliwa inyenye.
21 “Naftali ongaashi oholongo i na onhapo;
muye otamu di oludalo liwa.
22 Josef omuti mupe tau imi,
omuti mupe pofifiya.
Oitai yao tai tandavele kombada yekuma.
23 Ovaumbi vomauta tave mu nangele,
ndele tave mu umbu, ndele tave mu lwifa,
24 ndelenee outa waye wa pama
nomaoko nomake aye e na eenghono
molwomake Omunamapangelo womuJakob,
Omufita nemanya laIsrael,
25 Kalunga kaxo, ekwafo loye, nekwafo laKalunga Omunaenghono adishe,
ou te ku nangeke noupuna nomanangeko okeulu pombada,
nomanangeko nomakungulukilo omeva oposhi,
nomanangeko omavele nomomadimo.
26 Omanangeko noupuna aa xo a pewa,
e dule omanangeko noupuna eemhunda daalushe,
eeshali doupuna dokoikulundudu yaalushe.
Omanangeko noupuna aa naa kale kombada yomutwe waJosef
nokombada pokati komutwe womuhoololwa mokati kovamwaxe.
27 “Benjamin oye embungu tali nyanyaula.
Ongula tali li oshihakanwa shalo
nonguloshi tali tukula eshi la kwata.”
28 Aa omapata aeshe omulongo naavali omuIsrael. Ndele odo xe e va lombwela, ndele ye e va nangeka noupuna. Ye okwe va nangeka noupuna, keshe umwe enangeko noupuna laye li lili.
Efyo laJakob
29 Opo nee ye e va lombwela ndele ta ti kuvo: “Ame ohandi ka ongelwa kovakwapata vange. Pakei nge pootate mekololo li li monhele yedu laEfron Omuheti, 30 mekololo li li monhele yedu laMakpela, koushilo waMamre, medu laKaanan, onhele yedu Abraham e i landa kuEfron, Omuheti ngaashi ombila yefyuululo. 31 Oko va paka Abraham naSara, omwalikadi waye. Oko va paka Isak naRebeka omwalikadi waye. Oko nda paka yo Lea, 32 onhele yedu nekololo li li mo, ei ya landwa kovana vaHet.” 33 Jakob eshi a mana okulombwela ovana vaye ovamati, okwa yelulila eemhadi daye kombete, ndele ta fuda mo omhepo. Ndele okwa ongelwa kovakwanepata laye.
