49 Then Jacob called for all his sons. He said, ‘Come here to me. Then I can tell you what will happen to you, in future years. 2 You sons of Jacob, come together now and listen to your father, Israel.’ [ a ]
3 Jacob said, ‘Reuben you are my firstborn son. You were born first, when I was a strong young man. Of all my sons, you are the most famous and the strongest.
4 Yet you are as wild as the sea. You had sex with your father's slave wife. This bad thing brought me shame. So you will not become great. [ b ]
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers. They use their swords as weapons to destroy people. [ c ]
6 I will not join them when they decide to do bad things. I will not meet with them. They have killed people when they are angry. They have hurt animals because it makes them happy.
7 Their anger is so strong that God will curse them. Their anger makes them do cruel things. So God will curse them. I will make your descendants separate from one another. They will live all over the country of Israel.
8 Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will win against your enemies. Your father's sons will bend down towards the ground in front of you.
9 Judah is like a young lion who has eaten good food. He has eaten what he killed and now he rests. Nobody would want to try and wake him up!
10 Judah's descendants will always rule as king. They will continue to hold the stick and the sceptre that show the king's authority. They will do that until the man comes who truly has that authority. People from all nations will obey that king. [ d ]
11 Judah will tie his young donkey to a vine. It will be a vine that has the best grapes. He will wash his clothes in the red wine that is made from those grapes. [ e ]
12 His eyes will become red because he drinks so much wine. His teeth will become white because he drinks so much milk. [ f ]
13 Zebulun will live by the shore of the sea. His town will be a safe place for ships to stay. His land will go as far as Sidon.
14 Issachar is like a strong donkey that is lying down between two of its bags.
15 He will see that he has a good place to live, with good land. Then he will agree to work hard. He will work like a slave for other people. [ g ]
16 Dan will be a ruler for his people. His descendants will be equal with the other tribes of Israel. [ h ]
17 He will be small and dangerous, like a snake that lies beside the road. He will be like a snake that bites the legs of horses so that the riders fall off.
18 I trust you to save me from trouble, Lord . [ i ]
19 Robbers will attack Gad, but he will fight back against them.
20 Asher will have much good food. It will be good enough for kings to eat.
21 Naphtali is like a deer that runs freely and gives birth to beautiful babies.
22 Joseph is like a vine that has lots of fruit. It grows near a well and its branches go over a wall. [ j ]
23 His enemies will be angry with him. They will attack him with arrows. 24 But he will hold his own bow strongly. He will shoot his arrows well. The Mighty One of Jacob will give Joseph strength. God, who is Israel's Shepherd and Rock, will help him. [ k ]
25 The Almighty God, the God of your father, will help you and he will bless you. He will give you rain that comes from the sky above. He will give you springs of water from below the ground. He will cause you to have many descendants. That is how God will bless you.
26 The blessings that I, your father, give to you are great! They are greater than any good things that the old mountains or hills can give to you. They are special blessings for you, Joseph, because you are the leader of your brothers.
27 Benjamin is like a hungry wolf. He kills an animal and eats it in the morning. In the evening, he gives what remains to his people.’ [ l ]
28 All these are ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He told each of his sons what was right for them and their descendants. [ m ]
29 Then Jacob said to his 12 sons, ‘I will soon die. You must take my dead body back to Canaan. Bury me there with my ancestors. Bury me in the cave in the field that belonged to Ephron the Hittite. 30 The cave is at Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan. Abraham bought this cave from Ephron as a place to bury his family. 31 That is where they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah. They also buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah there. I buried Leah there too. 32 Abraham bought the cave and the field from the Hittites.’
33 Jacob finished telling his sons what they should do. Then he lay down on his bed again. He breathed for the last time and he died there.
49 Then Jacob called all his sons to him. He said, “My sons, come here to me. I will tell you what will happen in the future.
2 “Children of Jacob, gather around.
Come listen to Israel, your father.
3 “Reuben, my first son, you are my strength,
the first proof of my manhood.
You were the most honored
and powerful of all my sons.
4 But your passion was like a flood you couldn’t control.
So you will not remain my most honored son.
You climbed into your father’s bed
and slept with one of his wives.
You brought shame to my bed,
to the bed you lay on.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.
They are violent with their swords.
6 I will not join their secret meetings.
I will not take part in their evil plans.
They have killed people out of anger
and crippled animals for fun.
7 Their anger is so strong that it is a curse.
They are too cruel when they are angry.
They will not get their own land in the land of Jacob.
They will be spread throughout Israel.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will defeat your enemies.
Your brothers will bow down to you.
9 Judah is like a young lion.
My son, you are like a lion standing over the animal it killed.
Like a lion, Judah lies down to rest,
and no one is brave enough to disturb him.
10 Men from Judah’s family will be kings.
The sign that his family rules
will not leave his family before the real king comes. [ a ]
Then many people will obey and serve him.
11 He ties his donkeys to the best grapevines.
He washes his clothes in the best wine.
12 His eyes are red from drinking wine.
His teeth are white from drinking milk. [ b ]
13 “Zebulun will live near the sea.
His seacoast will be a safe place for ships.
His land will continue as far as the city of Sidon.
14 “Issachar is like a donkey that has worked too hard.
He will lie down under his heavy load.
15 He will see his land is pleasant
and that his resting place is good.
But he will agree to carry heavy loads;
he will agree to work as a slave.
16 “Dan [ c ] will rule his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be like a snake at the side of the road.
He will be like a dangerous snake lying near the path.
That snake bites a horse’s foot,
and the rider falls to the ground.
18 “ Lord , I am waiting for your salvation.
19 “A group of robbers will attack [ d ] Gad,
but Gad will chase them away.
20 “Asher’s land will grow much good food.
He will have food fit for a king!
21 “Naphtali is like a deer running free,
and his words are beautiful.
22 “Joseph is like a wild donkey,
like a young donkey by a spring,
like colts grazing in a pasture. [ e ]
23 People attacked him and made life hard for him.
Men with arrows became his enemies.
24 But he won the fight
with his mighty bow and his skillful arms.
He gets power from the Mighty One of Jacob,
from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25 the God of your father who helps you.
May God All-Powerful bless you
and give you blessings
from the sky above and from the deep below.
May he give you blessings
from breast and womb.
26 My parents had many good things happen to them.
And I, your father, was blessed even more.
Your brothers left you with nothing.
But now I pile all my blessings on you,
as high as a mountain.
27 “Benjamin is like a hungry wolf.
In the morning he kills and eats.
In the evening he shares what is left.”
28 These are the twelve families of Israel. And this is what their father said to them. He gave each son a blessing that was right for him. 29 Then Israel gave them a command. He said, “When I die, I want to be with my people. I want to be buried with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 30 That cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought that field from Ephron so that he could have a burying place. 31 Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried in that cave. Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried in that cave. I buried my wife Leah in that cave. 32 That cave is in the field that was bought from the Hittites.” 33 After Jacob finished talking to his sons, he lay down, put his feet back on the bed, and died.
49 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.
14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord .
19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.
31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.
33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.
49 Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves, so that I may tell you what will happen to you ( A ) in the [ a ] days to come.
2 Gather together and listen, sons of Jacob;
Yes, ( B ) listen to Israel your father.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
My might and ( C ) the beginning of my strength,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
4 [ b ] Uncontrollable as water, you shall not have preeminence,
( D ) Because you went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it —he went up to my couch.
5 “ ( E ) Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Their [ c ] swords are implements of violence.
6 ( F ) May my soul not enter into their council;
May my glory not be united with their assembly;
For in their anger they killed [ d ] men,
And in their self-will they lamed [ e ] oxen.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel.
( G ) I will scatter them in Jacob,
And disperse them among Israel.
8 “As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
( H ) Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
9 Judah is a ( I ) lion’s cub;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
( J ) He [ f ] crouches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a [ g ] lion, who [ h ] dares to stir him up?
10 ( K ) The scepter will not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
[ i ] Until Shiloh comes,
And ( L ) to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
11 ( M ) He ties his foal to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;
( N ) He washes his garments in wine,
And his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are [ j ] dull from wine,
And his teeth [ k ] white from milk.
13 “ ( O ) Zebulun will reside at the seashore;
And he shall be [ l ] a harbor for ships,
And his flank shall be toward Sidon.
14 “Issachar is a [ m ] strong donkey,
( P ) Lying down between the sheepfolds.
15 When he saw that a resting place was good
And that the land was pleasant,
He bowed his shoulder to carry burdens ,
And became a slave at forced labor.
16 “ ( Q ) Dan shall ( R ) judge his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
A horned viper in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
So that its rider falls backward.
18 ( S ) For Your salvation I wait, Lord .
20 “ [ o ] ( U ) As for ( V ) Asher, his [ p ] food shall be [ q ] rich,
And he will yield royal delicacies.
21 “ ( W ) Naphtali is a doe let loose;
He utters beautiful words.
22 “ ( X ) Joseph is a fruitful [ r ] branch,
A fruitful [ s ] branch by a spring;
Its [ t ] branches hang over a wall.
23 The archers provoked him,
And shot at him and were hostile toward him;
24 But his ( Y ) bow remained [ u ] firm,
And [ v ] ( Z ) his arms were agile,
From the hands of the ( AA ) Mighty One of Jacob
(From there is ( AB ) the Shepherd, ( AC ) the Stone of Israel),
25 From ( AD ) the God of your father who helps you,
And [ w ] ( AE ) by the [ x ] Almighty who blesses you
With ( AF ) blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father
Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors
Up to the [ y ] furthest boundary of ( AG ) the everlasting hills;
May they be on the head of Joseph,
And on the top of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is a [ z ] ravenous wolf;
In the morning he devours the prey,
And in the evening he divides the spoils.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them [ aa ] when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one [ ab ] with the blessing appropriate to him.
29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am about to be ( AH ) gathered to my people; ( AI ) bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in ( AJ ) the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the ( AK ) cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a [ ac ] burial site. 31 There they buried ( AL ) Abraham and his wife ( AM ) Sarah, there they buried ( AN ) Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and ( AO ) breathed his last, and was ( AP ) gathered to his people.
49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. ( B )
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, ( E )
my might, the first sign of my strength, ( F )
excelling in honor, ( G ) excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, ( H ) you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it. ( I )
5 “Simeon ( J ) and Levi ( K ) are brothers—
their swords [ a ] are weapons of violence. ( L )
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly, ( M )
for they have killed men in their anger ( N )
and hamstrung ( O ) oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, ( P ) so cruel! ( Q )
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel. ( R )
8 “Judah, [ b ] ( S ) your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck ( T ) of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you. ( U )
9 You are a lion’s ( V ) cub, ( W ) Judah; ( X )
you return from the prey, ( Y ) my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, ( Z )
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, [ c ]
until he to whom it belongs [ d ] shall come ( AA )
and the obedience of the nations shall be his. ( AB )
11 He will tether his donkey ( AC ) to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch; ( AD )
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes. ( AE )
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk. [ e ] ( AF )
13 “Zebulun ( AG ) will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon. ( AH )
14 “Issachar ( AI ) is a rawboned [ f ] donkey
lying down among the sheep pens. [ g ] ( AJ )
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land, ( AK )
he will bend his shoulder to the burden ( AL )
and submit to forced labor. ( AM )
16 “Dan [ h ] ( AN ) will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel. ( AO )
17 Dan ( AP ) will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path, ( AQ )
that bites the horse’s heels ( AR )
so that its rider tumbles backward.
19 “Gad [ i ] ( AU ) will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels. ( AV )
22 “Joseph ( BB ) is a fruitful vine, ( BC )
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches ( BD ) climb over a wall. [ k ]
23 With bitterness archers attacked him; ( BE )
they shot at him with hostility. ( BF )
24 But his bow remained steady, ( BG )
his strong arms ( BH ) stayed [ l ] limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, ( BI )
because of the Shepherd, ( BJ ) the Rock of Israel, ( BK )
25 because of your father’s God, ( BL ) who helps ( BM ) you,
because of the Almighty, [ m ] ( BN ) who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below, ( BO )
blessings of the breast ( BP ) and womb. ( BQ )
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than [ n ] the bounty of the age-old hills. ( BR )
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, ( BS )
on the brow of the prince among [ o ] his brothers. ( BT )
27 “Benjamin ( BU ) is a ravenous wolf; ( BV )
in the morning he devours the prey, ( BW )
in the evening he divides the plunder.” ( BX )
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, ( BY ) and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing ( BZ ) appropriate to him.
29 Then he gave them these instructions: ( CA ) “I am about to be gathered to my people. ( CB ) Bury me with my fathers ( CC ) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ( CD ) 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, ( CE ) near Mamre ( CF ) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field ( CG ) as a burial place ( CH ) from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There Abraham ( CI ) and his wife Sarah ( CJ ) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah ( CK ) were buried, and there I buried Leah. ( CL ) 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites. [ p ] ( CM ) ”
33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people. ( CN )
