Genesis 49

1 And Iacob called for his sonnes ad sayde: come together that I maye tell you what shall happe you in the last dayes.

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

2 Gather you together and heare ye sonnes of Iacob and herken vnto Israel youre father.

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

3 Ruben thou art myne eldest sonne my myghte and the begynnynge of my strength chefe in receauynge and chefe in power.

Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the first-fruits of my strength; the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power.

4 As vnstable as water wast thou: thou shalt therfore not be the chefest for thou wenst vp vpo thy fathers bedd and than defyledest thou my couche with goynge vppe.

Unstable as water, have not thou the excellency; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it — he went up to my couch.

5 The brethern Simeon and Leui weked instrumentes are their wepos.

Simeon and Levi are brethren; weapons of violence their kinship.

6 In to their secrettes come not my soule and vnto their congregation be my honoure not coupled: for in their wrath they slewe a man and in their selfewill they houghed an oxe.

Let my soul not come into their council; unto their assembly let my glory not be united; for in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they houghed oxen.

7 Cursed be their wrath for it was stronge and their fearsnes for it was cruell. I will therfore deuyde them in Iacob and scater 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 Iuda thy brethern shall prayse the and thine hande shalbe in the necke of thyne enimies and thy fathers childern shall stoupe vnto the.

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.

9 Iuda is a lions whelpe. Fro spoyle my sonne thou art come an hye: he layde him downe and couched himselfe as a lion and as a lionesse. Who dare stere him vp?

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?

10 The sceptre shall not departe from Iuda nor a ruelar from betwene his legges vntill Silo come vnto whome the people shall herken.

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

11 He shall bynde his fole vnto the vine and his asses colt vnto the vyne braunche ad shall wash his garment in wyne and his mantell in the bloud of grapes

Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washeth his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes;

12 his eyes are roudier than wyne ad his teeth whitter then mylke.

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

13 Zabulon shall dwell in the hauen of the see and in the porte of shippes and shall reache vnto Sidon.

Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea, and he shall be a shore for ships, and his flank shall be upon Zidon.

14 Isachar is a stronge asse he couched him doune betwene. ij. borders

Issachar is a large-boned ass, couching down between the sheep-folds.

15 and sawe that rest was good and the lande that it was pleasant and bowed his shulder to beare and became a servaunte vnto trybute.

For 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 task-work

16 Dan shall iudge his people as one of the trybes of Israel.

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

17 Dan shalbe a serpent in the waye and an edder in the path and byte the horse heles so yt his ryder shall fall backwarde,

Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, so that his rider falleth backward.

18 After thy sauynge loke I LORde.

I wait for Thy salvation, O Lord.

19 Gad men of warre shall invade him. And he shall turne them to flyght.

Gad, a troop shall troop upon him; but he shall troop upon their heel.

20 Off Asser cometh fatt breed and he shall geue pleasures for a kynge.

As for Asher, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

21 Nepthali is a swyft hynde ad geueth goodly wordes.

Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

22 That florishynge childe Ioseph that florishing childe and goodly vn to the eye: the doughters come forth to bere ruele.

Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a fountain; its branches run over the wall.

23 The shoters haue envyed him and chyde with him ad hated him

The archers have dealt bitterly with him, and shot at him, and hated him;

24 and yet his bowe bode fast and his armes and his handes were stronge by the handes of the myghtye God of Iacob: out of him shall come an herde ma a stone in Israel.

But his bow abode firm, and the arms of his hands were made supple, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, from thence, from the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,

25 Thi fathers God shall helpe the and the almightie shall blesse the with blessinges from heaven aboue and with blessinges of the water that lieth vnder and with blessinges of the brestes and of the wombe.

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.

26 The blessinges of thy father were stronge: euen as the blessinges of my elders after the desyre of the hiest in the worlde and these blessinges shall fall on the head of Ioseph and on the toppe of the head of him yt was separat from his brethern.

The blessings of thy father are mighty beyond 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 the prince among his brethren.

27 Ben Iamin is a raueshynge wolfe. In the mornynge be shall deuoure his praye ad at nyghte he shall deuyde his spoyle.

Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he devoureth the prey, and at even he divideth the spoil.'

28 All these are the. xij. tribes of Israel and this is that which their father spake vnto them whe he blessed them euery man with a severall blessinge.

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

29 And he charged them and sayde vnto them. I shall be put vnto my people: se that ye burye me with my fathers in the caue that is in the felde of Ephron the Hethyte

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 double caue that is in the felde before Mamre in the lande of Canaan. Which felde Abraham boughte of Ephron the Hethite for a possessio to burye in.

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.

31 There they buryed Abraha and Sara his wyfe there they buryed Isaac and Rebecca his wyfe. And there I buried Lea:

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

32 which felde and the caue that is therin was bought of the childern of Heth.

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

33 When Iacob had commaunded all that he wold vnto his sonnes be plucked vp his fete apon the bedd and dyed and was put vnto his people.

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