Genesis 49
1 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.
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 together and listen, O sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
3 Reuben, my firstborn, you are my strength and the beginning of my sorrow: first in gifts, greater in authority.
“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
4 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.
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 The brothers Simeon and Levi: vessels of iniquity waging war.
“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.
6 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.
My soul, do not come into their council. My glory, do not be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.
7 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.
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, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be at the necks of your enemies; the sons of your father will reverence 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 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?
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 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.
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 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.
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 are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
13 Zebulun will live at the seashore and by the outpost of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.
“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 will be a strong donkey, reclining between the borders.
“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.
15 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.
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 will judge his people just like any other tribe in Israel.
“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 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.
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 will wait for your salvation, O Lord.
I have waited for your salvation, LORD.
19 Gad, being girded, will fight before him. And he himself will be girded backward.
“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.
20 Asher: his bread will be fat, and he will provide delicacies to the kings.
“Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.
21 Naphtali is a stag sent forth, offering words of eloquent beauty.
“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
22 Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and stately to behold; the daughters run back and forth on the wall.
“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
23 But those who held darts, provoked him, and they contend with him, and they envied him.
The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him:
24 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 is a ravenous wolf, in the morning he will eat the prey, and in the evening he will 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. These things their father spoke to them, and he blessed each one with their proper blessings.
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 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,
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 opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought, along with its field, from Ephron the Hittite, as a possession for burial.
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 him, with his wife Sarah.” And there Isaac was buried with his wife Rebekah. There also Leah lies preserved.
There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:
the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.”
33 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.
When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.
