בְּרֵאשִׁית 49

1 וַיִּקְרָ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶל־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים׃

Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come:

2 הִקָּבְצ֥וּ וְשִׁמְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְשִׁמְע֖וּ אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֲבִיכֶֽם׃

Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

3 רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣רִי אַ֔תָּה כֹּחִ֖י וְרֵאשִׁ֣ית אֹונִ֑י יֶ֥תֶר שְׂאֵ֖ת וְיֶ֥תֶר עָֽז׃

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

4 פַּ֤חַז כַּמַּ֙יִם֙ אַל־תֹּותַ֔ר כִּ֥י עָלִ֖יתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ אָ֥ז חִלַּ֖לְתָּ יְצוּעִ֥י עָלָֽה׃ פ

Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch, and defiled it.

5 שִׁמְעֹ֥ון וְלֵוִ֖י אַחִ֑ים כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.

6 בְּסֹדָם֙ אַל־תָּבֹ֣א נַפְשִׁ֔י בִּקְהָלָ֖ם אַל־תֵּחַ֣ד כְּבֹדִ֑י כִּ֤י בְאַפָּם֙ הָ֣רְגוּ אִ֔ישׁ וּבִרְצֹנָ֖ם עִקְּרוּ־שֹֽׁור׃

May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim.

7 אָר֤וּר אַפָּם֙ כִּ֣י עָ֔ז וְעֶבְרָתָ֖ם כִּ֣י קָשָׁ֑תָה אֲחַלְּקֵ֣ם בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס

Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

8 יְהוּדָ֗ה אַתָּה֙ יֹוד֣וּךָ אַחֶ֔יךָ יָדְךָ֖ בְּעֹ֣רֶף אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ יִשְׁתַּחֲוּ֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּנֵ֥י אָבִֽיךָ׃

Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

9 גּ֤וּר אַרְיֵה֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה מִטֶּ֖רֶף בְּנִ֣י עָלִ֑יתָ כָּרַ֨ע רָבַ֧ץ כְּאַרְיֵ֛ה וּכְלָבִ֖יא מִ֥י יְקִימֶֽנּוּ׃

Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

10 לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלָ֑יו עַ֚ד כִּֽי־יָבֹ֣א שִׁילֹה (שִׁילֹ֔ו) וְלֹ֖ו יִקְּהַ֥ת עַמִּֽים׃

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

11 אֹסְרִ֤י לַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ עִירֹה (עִירֹ֔ו) וְלַשֹּׂרֵקָ֖ה בְּנִ֣י אֲתֹנֹ֑ו כִּבֵּ֤ס בַּיַּ֙יִן֙ לְבֻשֹׁ֔ו וּבְדַם־עֲנָבִ֖ים סוּתֹה (סוּתֹֽו)׃

He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 חַכְלִילִ֥י עֵינַ֖יִם מִיָּ֑יִן וּלְבֶן־שִׁנַּ֖יִם מֵחָלָֽב׃ פ

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

13 זְבוּלֻ֕ן לְחֹ֥וף יַמִּ֖ים יִשְׁכֹּ֑ן וְהוּא֙ לְחֹ֣וף אֳנִיֹּ֔ות וְיַרְכָתֹ֖ו עַל־צִידֹֽן׃ ס

Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.

14 יִשָּׂשכָ֖ר חֲמֹ֣ר גָּ֑רֶם רֹבֵ֖ץ בֵּ֥ין הַֽמִּשְׁפְּתָֽיִם׃

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

15 וַיַּ֤רְא מְנֻחָה֙ כִּ֣י טֹ֔וב וְאֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ כִּ֣י נָעֵ֑מָה וַיֵּ֤ט שִׁכְמֹו֙ לִסְבֹּ֔ל וַיְהִ֖י לְמַס־עֹבֵֽד׃ ס

He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.

16 דָּ֖ן יָדִ֣ין עַמֹּ֑ו כְּאַחַ֖ד שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 יְהִי־דָן֙ נָחָ֣שׁ עֲלֵי־דֶ֔רֶךְ שְׁפִיפֹ֖ן עֲלֵי־אֹ֑רַח הַנֹּשֵׁךְ֙ עִקְּבֵי־ס֔וּס וַיִּפֹּ֥ל רֹכְבֹ֖ו אָחֹֽור׃

He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

18 לִֽישׁוּעָתְךָ֖ קִוִּ֥יתִי יְהוָֽה׃

I await Your salvation, O LORD.

19 גָּ֖ד גְּד֣וּד יְגוּדֶ֑נּוּ וְה֖וּא יָגֻ֥ד עָקֵֽב׃ ס

Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels.

20 מֵאָשֵׁ֖ר שְׁמֵנָ֣ה לַחְמֹ֑ו וְה֥וּא יִתֵּ֖ן מַֽעֲדַנֵּי־מֶֽלֶךְ׃ ס

Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies.

21 נַפְתָּלִ֖י אַיָּלָ֣ה שְׁלֻחָ֑ה הַנֹּתֵ֖ן אִמְרֵי־שָֽׁפֶר׃ ס

Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.

22 בֵּ֤ן פֹּרָת֙ יֹוסֵ֔ף בֵּ֥ן פֹּרָ֖ת עֲלֵי־עָ֑יִן בָּנֹ֕ות צָעֲדָ֖ה עֲלֵי־שֽׁוּר׃

Joseph is a fruitful vine— a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.

23 וַֽיְמָרֲרֻ֖הוּ וָרֹ֑בּוּ וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֻ֖הוּ בַּעֲלֵ֥י חִצִּֽים׃

The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.

24 וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן֙ קַשְׁתֹּ֔ו וַיָּפֹ֖זּוּ זְרֹעֵ֣י יָדָ֑יו מִידֵי֙ אֲבִ֣יר יַעֲקֹ֔ב מִשָּׁ֥ם רֹעֶ֖ה אֶ֥בֶן יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25 מֵאֵ֨ל אָבִ֜יךָ וְיַעְזְרֶ֗ךָּ וְאֵ֤ת שַׁדַּי֙ וִיבָ֣רְכֶ֔ךָּ בִּרְכֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ מֵעָ֔ל בִּרְכֹ֥ת תְּהֹ֖ום רֹבֶ֣צֶת תָּ֑חַת בִּרְכֹ֥ת שָׁדַ֖יִם וָרָֽחַם׃

by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you, with blessings of the heavens above, with blessings of the depths below, with blessings of the breasts and womb.

26 בִּרְכֹ֣ת אָבִ֗יךָ גָּֽבְרוּ֙ עַל־בִּרְכֹ֣ת הֹורַ֔י עַֽד־תַּאֲוַ֖ת גִּבְעֹ֣ת עֹולָ֑ם תִּֽהְיֶ֙ין֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ יֹוסֵ֔ף וּלְקָדְקֹ֖ד נְזִ֥יר אֶחָֽיו׃ פ

The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

27 בִּנְיָמִין֙ זְאֵ֣ב יִטְרָ֔ף בַּבֹּ֖קֶר יֹ֣אכַל עַ֑ד וְלָעֶ֖רֶב יְחַלֵּ֥ק שָׁלָֽל׃

Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28 כָּל־אֵ֛לֶּה שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֑ר וְ֠זֹאת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר לָהֶ֤ם אֲבִיהֶם֙ וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹותָ֔ם אִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּבִרְכָתֹ֖ו בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֹתָֽם׃

These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

29 וַיְצַ֣ו אֹותָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ אֲנִי֙ נֶאֱסָ֣ף אֶל־עַמִּ֔י קִבְר֥וּ אֹתִ֖י אֶל־אֲבֹתָ֑י אֶל־הַ֨מְּעָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּשְׂדֵ֖ה עֶפְרֹ֥ון הֽ͏ַחִתִּֽי׃

Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

30 בַּמְּעָרָ֞ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בִּשְׂדֵ֧ה הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֛ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־פְּנֵי־מַמְרֵ֖א בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן אֲשֶׁר֩ קָנָ֨ה אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה מֵאֵ֛ת עֶפְרֹ֥ן הַחִתִּ֖י לַאֲחֻזַּת־קָֽבֶר׃

The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

31 שָׁ֣מָּה קֽ͏ָבְר֞וּ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֗ם וְאֵת֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֹּ֔ו שָׁ֚מָּה קָבְר֣וּ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְאֵ֖ת רִבְקָ֣ה אִשְׁתֹּ֑ו וְשָׁ֥מָּה קָבַ֖רְתִּי אֶת־לֵאָֽה׃

There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.

32 מִקְנֵ֧ה הַשָּׂדֶ֛ה וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖ו מֵאֵ֥ת בְּנֵי־חֵֽת׃

The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

33 וַיְכַ֤ל יַעֲקֹב֙ לְצַוֹּ֣ת אֶת־בָּנָ֔יו וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף רַגְלָ֖יו אֶל־הַמִּטָּ֑ה וַיִּגְוַ֖ע וַיֵּאָ֥סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו׃

When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.