Genesis 49

1 Jacob 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.

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

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 dignity, and excelling in power.

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

4 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.

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 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.

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 was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide 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 will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before 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 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?

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 ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. The obedience of the peoples will be to him.

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 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.

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 will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.

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

13 “Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on 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 saddlebags.

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

15 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.

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

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

17 Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls 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 have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.

I wait for your salvation, Yahweh.

19 “A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.

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

20 “Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.

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

21 “Naphtali is a doe set free, who 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. His branches run over the wall.

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

23 The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him:

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

24 But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone 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 even by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the 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 prevailed above the blessings of my ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from 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 will devour the prey. At evening he will divide 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 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his own 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 He instructed 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,

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 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 from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.

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 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 field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.”

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

33 When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and 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.