Genesis 49
1 Vocavit autem Iacob filios suos, et ait eis: Congregamini, ut annunciem quæ ventura sunt vobis in diebus novissimis.
And Jacob calls to his sons and says, “Be gathered together, and I declare to you that which happens with you in the latter end of the days.
2 Congregamini, et audite filii Iacob, audite Israel patrem vestrum:
Be assembled, and hear, sons of Jacob, And listen to your father Israel.
3 Ruben primogenitus meus, tu fortitudo mea, et principium doloris mei: prior in donis, maior in imperio.
Reuben! You [are] my firstborn, My power, and beginning of my strength, The abundance of exaltation, And the abundance of strength;
4 Effusus es sicut aqua, non crescas: quia ascendisti cubile patris tui, et maculasti stratum eius.
Unstable as water, you are not abundant; For you have gone up your father’s bed; Then you have defiled [it]: He went up my couch!
5 Simeon et Levi fratres: vasa iniquitatis bellantia.
Simeon and Levi [are] brothers! Instruments of violence—their espousals!
6 In consilium eorum non veniat anima mea, et in cœtu illorum non sit gloria mea: quia in furore suo occiderunt virum, et in voluntate sua suffoderunt murum.
Into their secret, do not come, O my soul! Do not be united to their assembly, O my glory; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will eradicated a prince.
7 Maledictus furor eorum, quia pertinax: et indignatio eorum, quia dura: dividam eos in Iacob, et dispergam eos in Israel.
Cursed [is] their anger, for [it is] fierce, And their wrath, for [it is] sharp; I divide them in Jacob, And I scatter them in Israel.
8 Iuda, te laudabunt fratres tui: manus tua in cervicibus inimicorum tuorum, adorabunt te filii patris tui.
Judah! Your brothers praise you! Your hand [is] on the neck of your enemies, Sons of your father bow themselves to you.
9 Catulus leonis Iuda: ad prædam fili mi ascendisti: requiescens accubuisti ut leo, et quasi leæna, quis suscitabit eum?
A lion’s whelp [is] Judah, For prey, my son, you have gone up; He has bent, he has crouched as a lion, And as a lioness; who causes him to arise?
10 Non auferetur sceptrum de Iuda, et dux de femore eius, donec veniat qui mittendus est, et ipse erit expectatio Gentium.
The scepter does not turn aside from Judah, And a lawgiver from between his feet, Until his Seed comes; And His [is] the obedience of peoples.
11 Ligans ad vineam pullum suum, et ad vitem, o fili mi, asinam suam. Lavabit in vino stolam suam, et in sanguine uvæ pallium suum.
Binding to the vine his donkey, And to the choice vine the colt of his donkey, He has washed in wine his clothing, And in the blood of grapes his covering;
12 Pulchriores sunt oculi eius vino, et dentes eius lacte candidiores.
Red [are] eyes with wine, And white [are] teeth with milk!
13 Zabulon in littore maris habitabit, et in statione navium pertingens usque ad Sidonem.
Zebulun dwells at a haven of the seas, And he [is] for a haven of ships; And his side [is] to Sidon.
14 Issachar asinus fortis accubans inter terminos.
Issachar [is] a strong donkey, Crouching between the two folds;
15 Vidit requiem quod esset bona: et terram quod optima: et supposuit humerum suum ad portandum, factusque est tributis serviens.
And he sees rest, that [it is] good, And the land, that [it is] pleasant, And he inclines his shoulder to bear, And is a servant for tribute.
16 Dan iudicabit populum suum sicut et alia tribus in Israel.
Dan judges his people, As one of the tribes of Israel;
17 Fiat Dan coluber in via, cerastes in semita, mordens ungulas equi, ut cadat ascensor eius retro.
Dan is a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, Which is biting the horse’s heels, And its rider falls backward.
18 Salutare tuum expectabo Domine.
For Your salvation I have waited, YHWH!
19 Gad, accinctus præliabatur ante eum: et ipse accingetur retrorsum.
Gad! A troop assaults him, But he assaults last.
20 Aser, pinguis panis eius, et præbebit delicias regibus.
Out of Asher his bread [is] fat; And he gives delicacies of a king.
21 Nephthali, cervus emissus, et dans eloquia pulchritudinis.
Naphtali [is] a doe sent away, Who is giving beautiful young ones.
22 Filius accrescens Ioseph, filius accrescens et decorus aspectu: filiæ discurrerunt super murum.
Joseph [is] a fruitful son; A fruitful son by a fountain, Daughters step over the wall;
23 Sed exasperaverunt eum, et iurgati sunt, invideruntque illi habentes iacula.
And embitter him indeed, they have striven, Indeed, archers hate him;
24 Sedit in forti arcus eius, et dissoluta sunt vincula brachiorum et manuum illius per manus potentis Iacob: inde pastor egressus est lapis Israel.
And his bow abides in strength, And strengthened are the arms of his hands By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, From where is a shepherd, a son of Israel.
25 Deus patris tui erit adiutor tuus, et omnipotens benedicet tibi benedictionibus cæli desuper, benedictionibus abyssi iacentis deorsum, benedictionibus uberum et vulvæ.
By the God of your father who helps you, And the Mighty One who blesses you, Blessings of the heavens from above, Blessings of the deep lying under, Blessings of breasts and womb—
26 Benedictiones patris tui confortatæ sunt benedictionibus patrum eius: donec veniret desiderium collium æternorum: fiant in capite Ioseph, et in vertice Nazaræi inter fratres suos.
Your father’s blessings have been mighty Above the blessings of my progenitors, To the limit of the perpetual heights They are for the head of Joseph, And for the crown of the one Separate [from] his brothers.
27 Beniamin lupus rapax, mane comedat prædam, et vespere dividet spolia.
Benjamin! A wolf tears; In the morning he eats prey, And at evening he apportions spoil.”
28 Omnes hi in tribubus Israel duodecim: hæc locutus est eis pater suus, benedixitque singulis benedictionibus propriis.
All these [are] the twelve tribes of Israel, and this [is] that which their father has spoken to them, and he blesses them; each according to his blessing he has blessed them.
29 Et præcepit eis, dicens: Ego congregor ad populum meum: sepelite me cum patribus meis in spelunca duplici quæ est in agro Ephron Hethæi,
And he commands them and says to them, “I am being gathered to my people; bury me by my fathers, at the cave which [is] in the field of Ephron the Hittite;
30 contra Mambre in Terra Chanaan, quam emit Abraham cum agro ab Ephron Hethæo in possessionem sepulchri.
in the cave which [is] in the field of Machpelah, which [is] on the front of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place;
31 Ibi sepelierunt eum, et Saram uxorem eius: ibi sepultus est Isaac cum Rebecca coniuge sua: ibi et Lia condita iacet.
(there they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and there I buried Leah);
the purchase of the field and of the cave which [is] in it, [is] from sons of Heth.”
33 Finitisque mandatis quibus filios instruebat, collegit pedes suos super lectulum, et obiit: appositusque est ad populum suum.
And Jacob finishes commanding his sons, and gathers up his feet to the bed, and expires, and is gathered to his people.
