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 his sons, and said to them: Gather yourselves together that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days.

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

Gather yourselves together, and hear, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken to 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.

Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my sorrow: excelling in gifts, greater in command.

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.

Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not: because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed, and didst defile his couch.

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

Simeon and Levi brethren: vessels of iniquity, waging war.

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 not my soul go into their counsel, nor my glory be in their assembly: because in their fury they slew a man, and in their selfwill they undermined a wall.

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 fury, because it was stubborn: and their wrath because it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and will 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.

Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hands shall be on the necks of thy enemies: the sons of thy father shall bow down to 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?

Juda is a lion’s whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him?

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 be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.

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

Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, O my son, to the vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.

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

His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

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

Zabulon shall dwell on the sea shore, and in the road of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.

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

Issachar shall be a strong ass lying down between the borders.

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.

He saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute.

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

Dan shall judge his people like another tribe in 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,

Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse’s heels that his rider may fall backward.

18 After thy sauynge loke I LORde.

I will look for thy salvation, O Lord.

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

Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward.

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

Aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to kings.

21 Nepthali is a swyft hynde ad geueth goodly wordes.

Nephtali, a hart let loose, and giving words of beauty.

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

Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold; the daughters run to and fro upon the wall.

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

But they that held darts provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied 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.

His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he came forth a pastor, 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.

The God of thy father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the 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 strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come; may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite 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 a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide 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: these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed every one, with their proper blessings.

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, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite,

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.

Over against Mambre in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought together with the field of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to bury in.

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 him, and Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried with Rebecca his wife: there also Lia doth lie buried.

32 which felde and the caue that is therin was bought of the childern 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 he had ended the commandments, wherewith he instructed his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was gathered to his people.