Genesis 49
1 Then Iaakob called his sonnes, and sayde, Gather your selues together, that I may tell you what shall come to you in the last dayes.
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 Gather your selues together, and heare, ye sonnes of Iaakob, and hearken vnto Israel your father.
Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob [Supplanter]. Sh'ma ·Hear obey· unto Israel [God prevails], your father.
3 Reuben mine eldest sonne, thou art my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellencie of dignitie, and the excellencie 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 Thou wast light as water: thou shalt not be excellent, because thou wentest vp to thy fathers bed: then diddest thou defile my bed, thy dignitie is gone.
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 Leui, brethren in euill, the instruments of crueltie are in their habitations.
“Simeon [Hearing] and Levi [United with] are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.
6 Into their secret let not my soule come: my glory, be not thou ioyned with their assembly: for in their wrath they slew a man, and in their selfe will they digged downe 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 wrath, for it was fierce, and their rage, for it was cruell: I will deuide them in Iaakob, 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 Thou Iudah, thy brethre shall praise thee: thine hande shalbe in the necke of thine enemies: thy fathers sonnes shall bowe downe vnto 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 Iudah, as a Lions whelpe shalt thou come vp from the spoyle, my sonne. He shall lye downe and couche as a Lion, and as a Lionesse: Who shall stirre him vp?
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 scepter shall not depart from Iudah, nor a Lawegiuer from betweene his feete, vntill Shiloh come, and the people shall be gathered vnto him.
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 He shall binde his Asse foale vnto ye vine, and his Asses colte vnto the best vine. hee shall wash his garment in wine, and his cloke 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 shalbe red with wine, and his teeth white with milke.
His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
13 Zebulun shall dwell by the sea side, and he shalbe an hauen for shippes: and his border shalbe vnto Zidon.
“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 shalbe a strong asse, couching downe betweene two burdens:
“Issachar [Hire, Reward] is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.
15 And he shall see that rest is good, and that the land is pleasant, and he shall bow his shoulder to beare, and shalbe subiect vnto 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 iudge 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 by the way, an adder by the path, byting the horse heeles, so that his rider shall fall 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 O Lord, I haue waited for thy saluation.
I have waited for your yishu'ah ·salvation·, Adonai.
19 Gad, an hoste of men shall ouercome him, but he shall ouercome at the last.
“A troop will press on Gad [Good fortune], but he will press on their heel.
20 Concerning Asher, his bread shalbe fat, and he shall giue pleasures for a king.
“Asher [Happy]’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.
21 Naphtali shalbe a hinde let goe, giuing goodly wordes.
“Naphtali [My wrestling] is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
22 Ioseph shalbe a fruitefull bough, euen a fruitful bough by the well side: the small boughs shall runne vpon the wall.
“Joseph [May he add] is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
23 And the archers grieued him, and shotte against him and hated him.
The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him:
24 But his bowe abode strong, and the hands of his armes were strengthened, by the handes of the mighty God of Iaakob, of whom was the feeder appointed, by 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 Euen by the God of thy father, who shall helpe thee, and by the almightie, who shall blesse thee with heauenly blessinges from aboue, with blessings of the deepe, that lyeth beneath, with blessings of the brestes, and of the wombe.
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 rachamim ·womb of compassionate loves·.
26 The blessings of thy father shalbe stronger then the blessings of mine elders: vnto the ende of the hilles of the worlde they shall be on the head of Ioseph, and on the top 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 Beniamin shall rauine as a wolfe: in the morning he shall deuoure the pray, and at night he shall deuide the spoyle.
“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 twelue tribes of Israel, and thus their father spake vnto them, and blessed them: euery one of them blessed hee with a seuerall blessing.
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 sayd vnto them, I am ready to be gathered vnto my people: burie mee with my fathers in the caue, that is in the fielde 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 caue that is in the field of Machpelah besides Mamre in the land of Canaan: which caue Abraham bought with the fielde of Ephron the Hittite for a possession to burie in.
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 buryed Izhak 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 purchase of the fielde and the caue that is therein, was bought of the children of Heth.
the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth [Trembling fear].”
33 Thus Iaakob made an end of giuing charge to his sonnes, and plucked vp his feete into the bed and gaue vp the ghost, and was gathered to 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.
