Genesis 49
1 And Jacob called his sons, and said to them,
Then Jacob called his sons, and he said to them: “Gather together, so that I may announce what will happen to you in the last days.
2 Assemble yourselves, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear me, sons of Jacob; hear Israel, hear your father.
Gather together and listen, O sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
3 Ruben, you [are] my firstborn, you my strength, and the first of my children, hard to be endured, [hard and] self-willed.
Reuben, my firstborn, you are my strength and the beginning of my sorrow: first in gifts, greater in authority.
4 You were insolent like water, burst not forth with violence, for you went up to the bed of your father; then you defiled the couch, whereupon you went up.
You are being poured out like water, may you not increase. For you climbed onto your father’s bed, and you defiled his resting place.
5 Symeon and Levi, brethren, accomplished the injustice of their cutting off.
The brothers Simeon and Levi: vessels of iniquity waging war.
6 Let not my soul come into their counsel, and let not mine inward parts contend in their conspiracy, for in their wrath they killed men, and in their passion they houghed a bull.
Let not my soul go by their counsel, nor my glory be within their meeting. For in their fury they killed a man, and in their self-will they undermined a wall.
7 Cursed be their wrath, for it was wilful, and their anger, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
Cursed be their fury, because it was obstinate, and their indignation, because it was harsh. I will divide them in Jacob, and I will scatter them in Israel.
8 Juda, your brethren have praised you, and your hands shall be on the back of your enemies; your father's sons shall do you reverence.
Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be at the necks of your enemies; the sons of your father will reverence you.
9 Juda is a lion's whelp: from the tender plant, my son, you are gone up, having couched you lie as a lion, and as a whelp; who shall stir him up?
Judah is a lion’s young. You have gone up to the prey, my son. While resting, you have lain like a lion. And just like a lioness, who would rouse him?
10 A ruler shall not fail from Juda, nor a prince from his loins, until there come the things stored up for him; and he is the expectation of nations.
The scepter from Judah and the leader from his thigh will not be taken away, until he who will be sent arrives, and he will be the expectation of Gentiles.
11 Binding his foal to the vine, and the foal of his ass to the branch [of it], he shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.
Tying his young colt to the vineyard, and his donkey, O my son, to the vine, he will wash his robe in wine, and his cloak in the blood of the grape.
12 His eyes shall be more cheering than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
13 Zabulon shall dwell on the coast, and he [shall be] by a haven of ships, and shall extend to Sidon.
Zebulun will live at the seashore and by the outpost of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.
14 Issachar has desired that which is good; resting between the inheritances.
Issachar will be a strong donkey, reclining between the borders.
15 And having seen the resting place that it was good, and the land that it was fertile, he subjected his shoulder to labour, and became a husbandman.
He saw that rest would be good, and that the land was excellent. And so he bent his shoulder to carry, and he became a servant under tribute.
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one tribe too in Israel.
Dan will judge his people just like any other tribe in Israel.
17 And let Dan be a serpent in the way, besetting the path, biting the heel of the horse (and the rider shall fall backward),
Let Dan be a snake in the way, a viper in the path, biting the hooves of horses, so that his rider may fall backward.
18 waiting for the salvation of the Lord.
I will wait for your salvation, O Lord.
19 Gad, a plundering troop shall plunder him; but he shall plunder him, [pursuing him] closely.
Gad, being girded, will fight before him. And he himself will be girded backward.
20 Aser, his bread [shall be] fat; and he shall yield dainties to princes.
Asher: his bread will be fat, and he will provide delicacies to the kings.
21 Nephthalim is a spreading stem, bestowing beauty on its fruit.
Naphtali is a stag sent forth, offering words of eloquent beauty.
22 Joseph is a son increased; my dearly loved son is increased; my youngest son, turn to me.
Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and stately to behold; the daughters run back and forth on the wall.
23 Against whom men taking evil counsel reproached [him], and the archers pressed hard upon him.
But those who held darts, provoked him, and they contend with him, and they envied him.
24 But their bow and arrows were mightily consumed, and the sinews of their arms were slackened by the hand of the mighty one of Jacob; thence is he that strengthened Israel from the God of your father;
His bow sits in strength, and the bands of his arms and hands have been let loose by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob. From there he went forth as a pastor, the stone of Israel.
25 and my God helped you, and he blessed you with the blessing of heaven from above, and the blessing of the earth possessing all things, because of the blessing of the breasts and of the womb,
The God of your father will be your helper, and the Almighty will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the abyss that lies beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 the blessings of your father and your mother—it has prevailed above the blessing of the lasting mountains, and beyond the blessings of the everlasting hills; they shall be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the head of the brothers of whom he took the lead.
The blessings of your father are strengthened by the blessings of his fathers, until the desire of the hills of eternity shall arrive. May they be at the head of Joseph, and at the summit of the Nazarite, among his brothers.
27 Benjamin, as a ravening wolf, shall eat still in the morning, and at evening he gives food.
Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning he will eat the prey, and in the evening he will divide the spoil.”
28 All these [are] the twelve sons of Jacob; and their father spoke these words to them, and he blessed them; he blessed each of them according to his blessing.
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. These things their father spoke to them, and he blessed each one with their proper blessings.
29 And he said to them, I am added to my people; you shall bury me with my fathers in the cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Chettite,
And he instructed them, saying: “I am being gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 in the double cave which is opposite Mambre, in the land of Chanaan, the cave which Abraam bought of Ephron the Chettite, for a possession of a sepulchre.
opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought, along with its field, from Ephron the Hittite, as a possession for burial.
31 There they buried Abraam and Sarrha his wife; there they buried Isaac, and Rebecca his wife; there they buried Lea;
There they buried him, with his wife Sarah.” And there Isaac was buried with his wife Rebekah. There also Leah lies preserved.
32 in the portion of the field, and of the cave that was in it, [purchased] of the sons of Chet.
33 And Jacob ceased giving charges to his sons; and having lifted up his feet on the bed, he died, and was gathered to his people.
And having finished these commands by which he instructed his sons, he drew his feet onto the bed, and he passed away. And he was gathered to his people.
