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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Genesis 49

Israel’s Prophecy concerning His Sons

1Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.

2Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob;

And listen to Israel your father.

3“Reuben, you are my firstborn;

My might and the beginning of my strength,

Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

4Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence,

Because you went up to your father’s bed;

Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.

5“Simeon and Levi are brothers;

Their swords are implements of violence.

6Let my soul not enter into their council;

Let not my glory be united with their assembly;

Because in their anger they slew men,

And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

7Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;

And their wrath, for it is cruel.

I will disperse them in Jacob,

And scatter them in Israel.

8“Judah, your brothers shall praise you;

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;

Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

9Judah is a lion’s whelp;

From the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He couches, he lies down as a lion,

And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?

10The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

# Or Until he comes to Shiloh; or Until he comes to whom it belongs Until Shiloh comes,

And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

11He ties his foal to the vine,

And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;

He washes his garments in wine,

And his robes in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes are #Or darker thandull from wine,

And his teeth #Or whiter thanwhite from milk.

13“Zebulun will dwell at the seashore;

And he shall be a haven for ships,

And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14“Issachar is a strong donkey,

Lying down between the sheepfolds.

15When he saw that a resting place was good

And that the land was pleasant,

He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens,

And became a slave at forced labor.

16“Dan shall judge his people,

As one of the tribes of Israel.

17Dan shall be a serpent in the way,

A horned snake in the path,

That bites the horse’s heels,

So that his rider falls backward.

18For Your salvation I wait, O Lord.

19“As for Gad, raiders shall raid him,

But he will raid at their heels.

20“As for Asher, his food shall be rich,

And he will yield royal dainties.

21“Naphtali is a doe let loose,

He gives beautiful words.

22“Joseph is a fruitful #Lit sonbough,

A fruitful bough by a spring;

Its #Lit daughtersbranches run over a wall.

23The archers bitterly attacked him,

And shot at him and harassed him;

24But his bow remained firm,

And his arms were agile,

From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob

(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

25From the God of your father who helps you,

And by the Almighty who blesses you

With blessings of heaven above,

Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,

Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26The blessings of your father

Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors

Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills;

May they be on the head of Joseph,

And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;

In the morning he devours the prey,

And in the evening he divides the spoil.”

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him. 29Then he charged them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site. 31There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— 32the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

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