Genesis 49

Jacob Blesses His Sons

1Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;

listen to your father Israel.

3“Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might, the first sign of my strength,

excelling in honor, excelling in power.

4Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,

for you went up onto your father’s bed,

onto my couch and defiled it.

5“Simeon and Levi are brothers—

their swords#49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. are weapons of violence.

6Let me not enter their council,

let me not join their assembly,

for they have killed men in their anger

and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.

7Cursed be their anger, so fierce,

and their fury, so cruel!

I will scatter them in Jacob

and disperse them in Israel.

8“Judah,#49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise. your brothers will praise you;

your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;

your father’s sons will bow down to you.

9You are a lion’s cub, Judah;

you return from the prey, my son.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down,

like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

10The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,#49:10 Or from his descendants

until he to whom it belongs#49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. shall come

and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

11He will tether his donkey to a vine,

his colt to the choicest branch;

he will wash his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes will be darker than wine,

his teeth whiter than milk.#49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk

13“Zebulun will live by the seashore

and become a haven for ships;

his border will extend toward Sidon.

14“Issachar is a rawboned#49:14 Or strong donkey

lying down among the sheep pens.#49:14 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags

15When he sees how good is his resting place

and how pleasant is his land,

he will bend his shoulder to the burden

and submit to forced labor.

16“Dan#49:16 Dan here means he provides justice. will provide justice for his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

17Dan will be a snake by the roadside,

a viper along the path,

that bites the horse’s heels

so that its rider tumbles backward.

18“I look for your deliverance, Lord.

19“Gad#49:19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders. will be attacked by a band of raiders,

but he will attack them at their heels.

20“Asher’s food will be rich;

he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

21“Naphtali is a doe set free

that bears beautiful fawns.#49:21 Or free; / he utters beautiful words

22“Joseph is a fruitful vine,

a fruitful vine near a spring,

whose branches climb over a wall.#49:22 Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill

23With bitterness archers attacked him;

they shot at him with hostility.

24But his bow remained steady,

his strong arms stayed#49:23,24 Or archers will attack… will shoot… will remain… will stay limber,

because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,

because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25because of your father’s God, who helps you,

because of the Almighty,#49:25 Hebrew Shaddai who blesses you

with blessings of the skies above,

blessings of the deep springs below,

blessings of the breast and womb.

26Your father’s blessings are greater

than the blessings of the ancient mountains,

than#49:26 Or of my progenitors, / as great as the bounty of the age-old hills.

Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,

on the brow of the prince among#49:26 Or of the one separated from his brothers.

27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;

in the morning he devours the prey,

in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

The Death of Jacob

29Then he gave them these instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 31There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.#49:32 Or the descendants of Heth”

33When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

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Genesis 49

Jacob’s Last Words

1Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather around, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.#49:1 Or in the last days#Nm 24:14; Dt 4:30; 31:29; Is 2:2; Jr 23:20; Dn 2:28; 10:14; Hs 3:5

2Come together and listen, sons of Jacob;

listen to your father Israel:

3Reuben, you are my firstborn,#Gn 29:32

my strength and the firstfruits of my virility,#Dt 21:17

excelling in prominence, excelling in power.

4Turbulent as water, you will not excel,

because you got into your father’s bed#Gn 35:22

and you defiled it — he#49:4 LXX, Syr, Tg read you got into my bed.

5Simeon and Levi are brothers;

their knives are vicious weapons.#Gn 34:25,30

6May I never enter their council;

may I never join their assembly.

For in their anger they kill men,

and on a whim they hamstring oxen.

7Their anger is cursed, for it is strong,

and their fury, for it is cruel!

I will disperse them throughout Jacob

and scatter them throughout Israel.#Ex 32:28; Nm 3:5–13; Dt 33:10; Jos 19:1–9; 1Ch 4:24–39; 2Ch 34:6; Neh 11:25–28

8Judah, your brothers will praise you.#Gn 29:35

Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies;

your father’s sons will bow down to you.#Gn 27:29; 1Ch 5:2

9Judah is a young lion#Nm 24:9; Ezk 19:5–7; Mc 5:8; Rv 5:5 —

my son, you return from the kill.

He crouches; he lies down like a lion

or a lioness — who dares to rouse him?

10The scepter will not depart from Judah

or the staff from between his feet

until he whose right it is comes#49:10 Or until tribute comes to him, or until Shiloh comes, or until he comes to Shiloh#Nm 2:9; 10:14; 24:17; Jdg 1:1–2; Ps 60:7; 108:8; Ezk 21:27

and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.#Ps 2:6–9; 72:8–11; Is 42:1,4; 49:6

11He ties his donkey to a vine,

and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine.

He washes his clothes in wine

and his robes in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth are whiter than milk.

13Zebulun will live by the seashore

and will be a harbor for ships,

and his territory will be next to Sidon.#Dt 33:19; Jos 19:10–16

14Issachar is a strong donkey

lying down between the saddlebags.#49:14 Or sheep pens

15He saw that his resting place was good

and that the land was pleasant,

so he leaned his shoulder to bear a load

and became a forced laborer.#Jdg 5:15–16

16Dan will judge his people#Dt 33:22; Jdg 13:2,25; 18:25–27

as one of the tribes of Israel.

17Dan will be a snake by the road,

a viper beside the path,

that bites the horse’s heels

so that its rider falls backward.

18I wait for your salvation, Lord.

19Gad will be attacked by raiders,

but he will attack their heels.#Dt 33:20; 1Ch 5:18–22; Jr 49:1

20Asher’s#49:19–20 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads their heel. 20 From Asher food will be rich,

and he will produce royal delicacies.#Dt 33:24–25; Jos 19:24–31; Jdg 5:17; 1Kg 4:7

21Naphtali is a doe set free

that bears beautiful fawns.#Jos 19:32–39

22Joseph is a fruitful vine,

a fruitful vine beside a spring;

its branches#49:22 Lit daughters climb over the wall.#49:22 Hb obscure

23The archers attacked him,

shot at him, and were hostile toward him.

24Yet his bow remained steady,

and his strong arms were made agile

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,#Gn 31:42; Ps 132:2,5; Is 1:24; 49:26

by the name of#49:24 Syr, Tg; MT reads Jacob, from there the Shepherd,#Gn 48:15; Ps 23:1; Jr 31:10 the Rock of Israel,#Ps 118:22; Is 28:16; 1Pt 2:6–8

25by the God of your father who helps you,

and by the Almighty who blesses you

with blessings of the heavens above,

blessings of the deep that lies below,

and blessings of the breasts and the womb.

26The blessings of your father excel

the blessings of my ancestors#49:26 Or of the mountains

and#49:26 Lit to the bounty of the ancient hills.#49:26 Hb obscure#Dt 33:15–16

May they rest on the head of Joseph,

on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

27Benjamin is a wolf; he tears his prey.

In the morning he devours the prey,

and in the evening he divides the plunder.”#Jdg 5:14; 20:21; 1Sm 14:47–48

28These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this is what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

Jacob’s Burial Instructions

29Then he commanded them, “I am about to be gathered to my people.#Gn 25:8 Bury me with my ancestors#Gn 47:30 in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hethite.#Gn 23:16–20; 50:13 30The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hethite as burial property.#Gn 23:3–20 31Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there,#Gn 23:19; 25:9 Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there,#Gn 35:29 and I buried Leah there.#Gn 48:7 32The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hethites.” 33When Jacob had finished giving charges to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, took his last breath, and was gathered to his people.

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