Genesis 49

1 And Jacob called to his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.

2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, you sons of Jacob; and listen to Israel your father.

Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.

3 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.

4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father’s bed; then defiled you it: he went up to my couch.

Boiling over like water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.

6 O my soul, come not you into their secret; to their assembly, my honor, be not you united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they dig down a wall.

My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.

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.

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, you are he whom your brothers shall praise: your hand shall be in the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you.

“Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you.

9 Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, you are gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?

10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and to him shall the gathering of the people be.

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. The obedience of the peoples will be to him.

11 Binding his foal to the vine, and his ass’s colt to the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

His eyes will be red with wine, 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 to Zidon.

“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.

14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:

“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.

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 to tribute.

He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor.

16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

“Dan will 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 bites the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.

18 I have waited for your salvation, O LORD.

I have waited for your salvation, LORD.

19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.

20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

“Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.

21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he gives goodly words.

“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him:

24 But his bow stayed in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel: )

But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),

25 Even by the God of your father, who shall help you; and by the Almighty, who shall bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

even by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.

26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors to 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 brothers.

The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.

27 Benjamin shall shred as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spoke to them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his own blessing.

29 And he charged them, and said to them, I am to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

He instructed them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to 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 burial plot.

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 from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.

31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

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.

the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased 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 to his people.

When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.