< Genesis 49 >
1 And Jacob called to his sons, and said, Assemble yourselves, that I may tell you [that] which shall befall you in the last days.
And Jacob called to his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob: and hearken to Israel your father.
Gather yourselves together, and hear, you sons of Jacob; and listen to Israel your father.
3 Reuben, thou [art] my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellence of dignity, and the excellence of power:
Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of 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.
Unstable as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father’s bed; then defiled you it: he went up to my couch.
5 Simeon and Levi [are] brethren: instruments of cruelty [are in], their habitations.
Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; to their assembly, my honor, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall.
O my soul, come not you into their secret; to their assembly, my honor, be not you united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they dig down a wall.
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, and scatter them in Israel.
8 Judah, thou [art he] whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand [shall be] on the neck of thy enemies: thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise: your hand shall be in the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah [is] a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou hast gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion: who shall rouse him up?
Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, you are gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh shall come: and to him [shall be] the gathering of the people.
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and to him shall the gathering of the people be.
11 Binding his foal to the vine, and his ass's colt to the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
Binding his foal to the vine, and his ass’s colt to the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
12 His eyes [shall be] red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he [shall be] for a haven of ships; and his border [shall be] to Zidon.
Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be to Zidon.
14 Issachar [is] a strong ass, couching down between two burdens:
Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
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 to tribute.
And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant to tribute.
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
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 shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for thy salvation O LORD.
I have waited for your salvation, O LORD.
19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
20 Out of Asher his bread [shall be] fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
21 Naphtali [is] a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
Naphtali is a hind let loose: he gives goodly words.
22 Joseph [is] a fruitful bough, [even] a fruitful bough by a well; [whose] branches run over the wall:
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot [at him], and hated him:
The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated 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 stayed in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel: )
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 beneath, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
Even by the God of your father, who shall help you; and by the Almighty, who shall bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors to 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 my progenitors to 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 brothers.
27 Benjamin shall raven [as] a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
Benjamin shall shred as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
28 All these [are] the twelve tribes of Israel: and this [is it] which their father spoke to them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spoke to them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
29 And he charged 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 the Hittite.
And he charged 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 the Hittite,
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 burying-place.
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 burial plot.
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 and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that [is] in it, [was] from the children of Heth.
The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.
33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, and expired, and was gathered to his people.
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 to his people.