Genesis 49

1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come:

Then Jacob called for his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what will happen to you in the future.

2 Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

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

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

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

4 Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch, and defiled it.

Uncontrollable as rushing water, you will not have the preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed. Then you defiled it; you went up to my couch.

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.

Simeon and Levi are brothers. Weapons of violence are their swords.

6 May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim.

O my soul, do not come into their council; do not join in their meetings, for my heart has too much honor for that. For in their anger they killed men. It was for pleasure that they hamstrung oxen.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

May their anger be cursed, for it was fierce—and their fury, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to 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 young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

Judah is a lion's cub. My son, you have gone up from your victims. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, like a lioness. Who would dare to awaken him?

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes. The nations will obey him.

11 He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, and his robe in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

His eyes will be as dark as wine, and his teeth as white as milk.

13 Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.

Zebulun will live by the shore of the sea. He will be a harbor for ships, and his border will extend to Sidon.

14 Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.

Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.

15 He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.

He sees a good resting place and the pleasant land. He will bend his shoulder to the burden and become a servant for the task.

16 Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

Dan will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous snake in the path that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.

18 I await Your salvation, O LORD.

I wait for your salvation, Yahweh.

19 Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels.

Gad—raiders will attack him, but he will attack them at their heels.

20 Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies.

Asher's food will be rich, and he will provide royal delicacies.

21 Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.

Naphtali is a doe let loose; he will have beautiful fawns.

22 Joseph is a fruitful vine— a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.

Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough near a spring, whose branches climb over the wall.

23 The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.

The archers will attack him and shoot at him and harass him.

24 Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

But his bow will remain steady, and his hands will be skillful because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

25 by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you, with blessings of the heavens above, with blessings of the depths below, with blessings of the breasts and womb.

The God of your father will help you and the Almighty God will bless you with blessings of the sky above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, and blessings of the breasts and womb.

26 The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains or the desirable things of the ancient hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, even upon the crown of the head of the prince of his brothers.

27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”

Benjamin is a hungry wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey, and in the evening he will divide the plunder.”

28 These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

These are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. Each one he blessed with an appropriate blessing.

29 Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

Then he instructed them and said to them, “I am about to go to my people. Bury me with my forefathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30 The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is near Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought for a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.

31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, 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 field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the people of Heth.”

33 When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.

When Jacob finished these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and went to his people.