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 last 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 Gather yourselves together, 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 firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency 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 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; 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; instruments of cruelty [are in] their habitations.
“Simeon [Hearing] and Levi [United with] are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down 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 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, thou [art he] whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand [shall be] in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children 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 an old lion; 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 a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [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 washed his garments in wine, and his clothes 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 an haven of ships; and his border [shall be] unto 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 [is] a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
“Issachar [Hire, Reward] is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.
15 And he saw that rest [was] good, and the land that [it was] pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto 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 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 by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, 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 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
I have waited for your yishu'ah ·salvation·, Adonai.
19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
“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, [even] a fruitful bough by a well; [whose] 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 hated 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 [God] 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 lieth under, 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 rachamim ·womb of compassionate loves·.
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 shall ravin [as] a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night 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 of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.
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 purchase of the field and of the cave that [is] therein [was] 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 had made an end of commanding 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.
