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 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.
