Genesis 49

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

Jacob [Supplanter] 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 Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; And hearken unto Israel your father.

Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob [Supplanter]. Sh'ma ·Hear obey· unto Israel [God prevails], your father.

3 Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength; The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.

“Reuben [See, a son!], you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.

4 Boiling over as water, thou shalt not have the pre-eminence; Because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; Then defiledst thou 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 brethren; Weapons of violence are their swords.

“Simeon [Hearing] and Levi [United with] are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.

6 O my soul, come not thou into their council; Unto their assembly, my glory, be not thou united; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hocked an ox.

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 [Supplanter], and scatter them in Israel [God prevails].

8 Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise: Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; Thy father’s sons shall bow down before thee.

“Judah [Praised], your brothers will yadah ·extend hands in thankful praise· to 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, thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?

Judah [Praised] 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 sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh come; And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

The scepter will not depart from Judah [Praised], nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh [Him to whom obedience belongs]. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.

11 Binding his foal unto the vine, And his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; He hath washed his garments in wine, And his vesture 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 a haven of ships; And his border shall be upon Sidon.

“Zebulun [Living together] 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 the sheepfolds:

“Issachar [Hire, Reward] is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.

15 And he saw a resting-place that it was good, And the land that it was pleasant; And he bowed his shoulder to bear, And became a servant under taskwork.

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 [He judged] will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel [God prevails].

17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way, An adder in the path, That biteth the horse’s heels, So that his rider falleth backward.

Dan [He judged] 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 thy salvation, O Jehovah.

I have waited for your yishu'ah ·salvation·, Adonai.

19 Gad, a troop shall press upon him; But he shall press upon their heel.

“A troop will press on Gad [Good fortune], but he will press on their heel.

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

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

21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: He giveth goodly words.

“Naphtali [My wrestling] is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a fountain; His branches run over the wall.

“Joseph [May he add] 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 persecuted him:

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

24 But his bow abode in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong, By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From thence 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 'Avir Ya'akov [Mighty One of Supplanter], (from there is the Ro'i [Shepherd Provider], the 'Even Isra'el [Stone of God prevails]),

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 coucheth beneath, Blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.

even by the God of your father, who will help you; by Shaddai [Almighty], who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the racham ·womb of compassionate love·.

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.

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

27 Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth: In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at even he shall divide the spoil.

“Benjamin [Son of right hand, Son of south] 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 spake unto them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

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

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,

He enjoined 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 [Fawn-like] the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear],

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 from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place.

in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah [Double], which is before Mamre [Bitter, Fatness], in the land of Canaan [Humbled], which Abraham [Father of a multitude] bought with the field from Ephron [Fawn-like] the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear] 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 [Father of a multitude] and Sarah [Princess], his wife. There they buried Isaac [Laughter] and Rebekah [Securely bound], his wife, and there I buried Leah [Weary]:

32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.

the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth [Trembling fear].”

33 And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

When Jacob [Supplanter] finished enjoining words to his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.