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.

And Jacob called to his sons, and said, gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the latter days.

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

Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken 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, thou are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of 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.

Boiling over as water, thou shall not have the pre-eminence, because thou went up to thy father's bed, then thou defiled it; he 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, come not thou into their council, to their assembly, my glory, be not thou united, for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they hocked an ox.

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, 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, thy brothers shall praise thee. Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies. Thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.

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 whelp. From the prey, my son, thou have gone up. He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him up?

10 The sceptre 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 shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and to him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

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 foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.

His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with 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 shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for a haven of ships. And his border shall be upon Sidon.

14 “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.

Issachar is a strong donkey, couching 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 labour.

And he saw a resting place that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant. And he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant under task work.

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

Dan shall 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 shall be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.

18 I have waited for your salvation, LORD.

I have waited for thy salvation, O Jehovah.

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

Gad, a troop shall press upon him, but he shall press upon their heel.

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

Out of the Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

21 “Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.

Naphtali is a hind let loose. He gives goodly words.

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 by a fountain, his branches run over the wall.

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

The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and persecute 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 abode in strength. And 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),

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.

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 couches beneath, blessings of the breasts, and of the 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 thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my forefathers 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 who was separate from 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 wolf that ravens. In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at evening he shall divide the spoil.

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.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father spoke to them and blessed them; every man according to his blessing he blessed them.

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,

And he ordered 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 from Ephron the Hittite as a burial 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 from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying 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 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, which was purchased from the sons 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.

And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.