Genesis 49

Jacob's Last Words to His Sons

1Then Jacob called his sons, and said: “Gather around, that I may tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob;

listen to Israel your father.

3Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might and the first fruits of my vigor,

excelling in rank and excelling in power.

4Unstable as water, you shall no longer excel

because you went up onto your father's bed;

then you defiled it—you#49.4 Gk Syr Tg: Heb he went up onto my couch!

5Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

6May I never come into their council;

may I not be joined to their company—

for in their anger they killed men,

and at their whim they hamstrung oxen.

7Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will divide them in Jacob,

and scatter them in Israel.

8Judah, your brothers shall praise you;

your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;

your father's sons shall bow down before you.

9Judah is a lion's whelp;

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

He crouches down, he stretches out like a lion,

like a lioness—who dares rouse him up?

10The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him;#49.10 Or until Shiloh comes or until he comes to Shiloh or (with Syr) until he comes to whom it belongs

and the obedience of the peoples is his.

11Binding his foal to the vine

and his donkey's colt to the choice vine,

he washes his garments in wine

and his robe in the blood of grapes;

12his eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth whiter than milk.

13Zebulun shall settle at the shore of the sea;

he shall be a haven for ships,

and his border shall be at Sidon.

14Issachar is a strong donkey,

lying down between the sheepfolds;

15he saw that a resting place was good,

and that the land was pleasant;

so he bowed his shoulder to the burden,

and became a slave at forced labor.

16Dan shall judge his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

17Dan shall be a snake by the roadside,

a viper along the path,

that bites the horse's heels

so that its rider falls backward.

18I wait for your salvation, O Lord.

19Gad shall be raided by raiders,

but he shall raid at their heels.

20Asher's#49.20 Gk Vg Syr: Heb From Asher food shall be rich,

and he shall provide royal delicacies.

21Naphtali is a doe let loose

that bears lovely fawns.#49.21 Or that gives beautiful words

22Joseph is a fruitful bough,

a fruitful bough by a spring;

his branches run over the wall.#49.22 Meaning of Heb uncertain

23The archers fiercely attacked him;

they shot at him and pressed him hard.

24Yet his bow remained taut,

and his arms#49.24 Heb the arms of his hands were made agile

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,

by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25by the God of your father, who will help you,

by the Almighty#49.25 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai who will bless 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

are stronger than the blessings of the eternal mountains,

the bounties#49.26 Cn Compare Gk: Heb of my progenitors to the boundaries of the everlasting hills;

may they be on the head of Joseph,

on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.

27Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,

in the morning devouring the prey,

and at evening dividing the spoil.”

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, blessing each one of them with a suitable blessing.

Jacob's Death and Burial

29Then he charged them, saying to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors—in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30in the cave in the field at Machpelah, near Mamre, in the land of Canaan, in the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. 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 that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.” 33When Jacob ended his charge to his sons, he drew up his feet 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. # 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 no longer excel,

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

and you defiled it — he # 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 # 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. # Or sheepfolds

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.

17He will be a snake by the road,

a viper beside the path,

that bites the horses’ 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 # 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 # Lit daughters climb over the wall. # Hb obscure

23The archers attacked him,

shot at him, and were hostile toward him.

24Yet his bow remained steady,

and his strong # Lit and the hands of his 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 # 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 # Or of the mountains

and # Lit to the bounty of the eternal hills. # Hb obscure # Dt 33:15-16

May they rest on the head of Joseph,

on the crown 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, 12 in all, and this was 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 fathers # Gn 47:30 in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. # 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 Hittite as a burial site. # 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 Hittites.” 33When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and died. He was gathered to his people.

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