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.
Yaakuba ye neemoo duwaa a dinkewolu ye
1 Yaakuba ye a dinkewolu kumandi, a ko ì ye ko:
Ali bee ye beŋ ñoo kaŋ, ŋa naa kuma fo ali ye, meŋ be ke la ali la siniŋ saama.
2 Ali beŋ ñoo kaŋ, ali ye kumoo moyi, alitolu Yaakuba dinkewolu.
Ali lamoyiri ke ali faamaa Isirayila la.
3 Rubeni, ite le mu n diŋ foloo ti,
n semboo, n semboo ye ite le foloo wuluu.
Ñaaboo palaasoo be ite le bulu, aniŋ semboo.
4 I be le komeŋ waamoo, moo te meŋ manankuŋ noo la.
Bari i te tara la ñaaboo palaasoo to kotenke.
Kaatu i ye laañooyaa tuluŋo ke i faamaa la laaraŋo le kaŋ,
i ye n na laaraŋo kosondi.
5 Simeyoni niŋ Lewi, ali baadimmaa fuloo!
Ali la hawusaroolu* le mu fitinoo kelejooraŋolu ti.
6 Allamaa n daa nene kana bula ali la feere sitoolu to.
Allamaa n daa nene kana kafu ali la kafoo kono.
Kabiriŋ ali kamfaata, ali ye moofaa le ke,
ali ye tuuraalu tonkoliŋ fasoolu kuntu tawunteeyaa kono.
7 Dankoo ye laa ali kaŋ ali la kamfaa saŋaroo kamma la,
aniŋ ali la jusu jawuyaa.
Ali koomalankoolu be janjaŋ na Banisirayila,
ì ye tara janjandiŋ a lasili doolu kono.
8 Yahuuda, i faadiŋolu be ke la i tentulaa le ti,
i la noo juloo le be tara la i jawoolu kaŋ,
i faadiŋolu be naa le ka ñoyi i ñaatiliŋo la.
9 Yahuuda, n dinkewo, ite ka muluŋ ne ko jatadiŋo,
meŋ ka i baluu suboo la ka ke sembemaa ti.
I ka i saba le, i ye i tiliŋ ko jatoo,
ko jatamusoo, jumaa le be haañi la ka i maa?
10 Yahuuda niŋ mansayaa te fata la ñoo ma,
a koomalankoolu be tu la maraloo la le,
fo janniŋ maralilaa kuntiyo faŋo be naa la,
meŋ, duniyaa moolu la buuñaa be tara la a ye.
11 Ite Yahuuda, i be i la falimusoo siti la wayini* yiroo le bala,
a diŋo ye tara sitiriŋ wayini yiribuloo bala.
I be i la duŋ feŋo kuu la wayinoo le la,
i ye i la waramboo kuu wayinoo la.
12 I ñaakesoo le be faramansa la ka tambi wayinoo* la,
i ñiŋo le be koyi la ka tambi keekewo la.
13 Sebuluni, ite be sabati la baadaa le la,
daameŋ be ke la tendaa ti kuluŋolu ye.
I la bankoo naanewo be taa le fo Sidoni saatewo maafaŋo la.
14 Isakari, ite be le ko fali sembemaa,
ka i laa dunoo koto.
15 I be a je la wo le to, dahaa diyaa mu meŋ ti,
aniŋ bankoo niiseewoo mu meŋ ti.
I ka i sañoo jimi dunoo le ye,
i keta joŋo le ti ka foriseetoo dookuwo ke.
16 Dani, ite be ke la maralilaa le ti i la moolu ye,
ali be ke la ko Banisirayila lasili koteŋolu.
17 Dani, i be ke la le ko sila batu saa,
sirinka batu saa kunamaa,
ka suwoo kiŋ a tonkoliŋo to,
fo a borindilaa si boyi naŋ a koo la duuma.
18 Yaawe*, m Maarii, m be lamoyiri ke kaŋ i la tankoo le la.
19 Kadu, suŋ koorewolu le be ite boyinkaŋ na,
bari i be ì kele la le, i ye ì bayi.
20 Aseri, neema be ke la i la senebankoo ye,
i la domoroo be ke la mansakee domoroo le ti.
21 Nafutali, i be ke la le ko minaŋo,
meŋ maŋ tara maroo kono,
ka diŋ kendoolu wuluu.
22 Yusufa, ite ka muluŋ ne ko yiri dinnaa,
yiri dinnaa meŋ be woyoo daala.
A buloolu be sele kaŋ sansaŋ baloo la.
23 Kalabeñetiyolu ye i kamfandi le,
ka i buŋ ì la kalabeñoolu la ì la i koŋo kaŋ.
24 Bari i la kaloo tuta bambandiŋ ne,
i buloo tariyaata, a bambanta.
I semboo bota Yaakuba la Sembetii Baa le bulu,
Isirayila Kantalaa, Isirayila la Bere baa.
25 Allamaa n na Alla ye i maakoyi.
Allamaa Alla Tallaa neema la i ma.
A ye neema ke i ye samaajiyo la ka bo santo,
a ye neema ke i ye ka bo duuma.
A ye neema ke i ye musu jiidilaalu la, aniŋ beeyaŋolu.
26 Nte, i faamaa, nte le la neemoo kuliyaata n na moo foloolu ti,
ka tambi konko baalu la.
Yusufa, Allamaa ñiŋ neemoo jii la i kaŋ,
a ye tara i ye, kaatu ite le mu tomboŋ moo ti
i faadiŋolu kono.
27 Benjamini, ite ka muluŋ ne ko suluu saŋaroo,
a ye mutaroo ke soomandaa,
a ye a talaŋ-talaŋ wulaaroo.
28 Ñinnu le mu Banisirayila lasili taŋ niŋ fuloo ti. Ñiŋ ne keta kumakaŋo ti, ì faamaa ye meŋ fo ì ye, kabiriŋ a be neemoo daani la ì ye, ì bee kiliŋ-kiliŋ naa niŋ ì fansuŋ taa taata.
Yaakuba la beloo niŋ a la baadewo
29-30 Bituŋ Yaakuba ye kaŋo dii, a ko ì ye ko, “Sambii nte be kafu la n na moolu kaŋ. Ali m baadee m faamaañolu daala berehuwo kono, meŋ be Makipela kunkoo kono Mamure daala, Kanaani bankoo kaŋ. Iburayima ye ñiŋ berehuwo niŋ kunkoo ñiŋ saŋ Efuroni Hitinkoo ma le ka ke baadeedulaa ti. 31 Ì ye Iburayima baadee ñiŋ dulaa le to, aniŋ a musumaa Saara. Ì ye Isiyaaka fanaa niŋ a la musoo Rebeka baadee jee le to, aduŋ ŋa Leya fanaa baadee jee le to. 32 Kenoo ñiŋ niŋ berehuwo meŋ be a kono, bee santa Hitinkoolu le bulu.”
33 Kabiriŋ Yaakuba pareeta ñiŋ kumakaŋolu dii kaŋ a dinkewolu la, a ye i laa, a niyo jiita, a kafuta a bonsuŋolu ma.
