Genesis 49

1Then Jacob called his sons, and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in days to come.

2“Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob,

and hearken to Israel your father.

3Reuben, you are my first-born,

my might, and the first fruits of my strength,

pre-eminent in pride and pre-eminent in power.

4Unstable as water, you shall not have pre-eminence

because you went up to your father's bed;

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

5Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

6O my soul, come not into their council;

O my spirit,#49.6 Or glory be not joined to their company;

for in their anger they slay men,

and in their wantonness they hamstring 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.

9 # Num 24.9; Rev 5.5. Judah is a lion's whelp;

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

He stooped down, he couched as a lion,

and as a lioness; who dares rouse him up?

10The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,

until he comes to whom it belongs;#49.10 Syr Compare Tg: Heb until Shiloh comes or until he comes to Shiloh

and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

11Binding his foal to the vine

and his ass's colt to the choice vine,

he washes his garments in wine

and his vesture in the blood of grapes;

12his eyes shall be red with wine,

and his teeth white with milk.

13Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea;

he shall become a haven for ships,

and his border shall be at Sidon.

14Issachar is a strong ass,

crouching between the sheepfolds;

15he saw that a resting place was good,

and that the land was pleasant;

so he bowed his shoulder to bear,

and became a slave at forced labor.

16Dan shall judge his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

17Dan shall be a serpent in the way,

a viper by the path,

that bites the horse's heels

so that his rider falls backward.

18I wait for thy salvation, O Lord.

19Raiders#49.19 Heb gedud, a raiding troop shall raid Gad,

but he shall raid at their heels.

20Asher's food shall be rich,

and he shall yield royal dainties.

21Naphtali is a hind let loose,

that bears comely fawns.#49.21 Or who gives beautiful words

22Joseph is a fruitful bough,

a fruitful bough by a spring;

his branches run over the wall.

23The archers fiercely attacked him,

shot at him, and harassed him sorely;

24yet his bow remained unmoved,

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 God Almighty#49.25 Heb El Shaddai who will bless you

with blessings of heaven above,

blessings of the deep that couches beneath,

blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26The blessings of your father

are mighty beyond the blessings of the eternal mountains,#49.26 Compare Gk: Heb of my progenitors to

the bounties of the everlasting hills;

may they be on the head of Joseph,

and on the brow of him who was separate from his brothers.

27Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,

in the morning devouring the prey,

and at even dividing the spoil.”

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel; and this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. 29Then he charged them, and said to them, “I am 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 at Mach-pelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 31There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah— 32the field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.” 33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed, and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America

Learn More About Revised Standard Version Old Tradition 1952

Genesis 49

Jacob [Israel] Blesses His 12 Sons

1Jacob called for his sons and said, “Come here, and let me tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.

2“Gather around and listen, sons of Jacob.

Listen to your father Israel.

3“Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my strength, the very first son I had,

first in majesty and first in power.

4You will no longer be first

because you were out of control like a flood

and you climbed into your father’s bed.

Then you dishonored it.

He climbed up on my couch.

5“Simeon and Levi are brothers.

Their swords are weapons of violence.

6Do not let me attend their secret meetings.

Do not let me join their assembly.

In their anger they murdered men.

At their whim they crippled cattle.

7May their anger be cursed because it’s so fierce.

May their fury be cursed because it’s so cruel.

I will divide them among ⌞the sons of⌟ Jacob

and scatter them among ⌞the tribes of⌟ Israel.

8“Judah, your brothers will praise you.

Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies.

Your father’s sons will bow down to you.

9Judah, you are a lion cub.

You have come back from the kill, my son.

He lies down and rests like a lion.

He is like a lioness. Who dares to disturb him?

10A scepter will never depart from Judah

nor a ruler’s staff from between his feet

until Shiloh comes

and the people obey him.

11He will tie his donkey to a grapevine,

his colt to the best vine.

He will wash his clothes in wine,

his garments in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes are darker than wine.

His teeth are whiter than milk.

13“Zebulun will live by the coast.

He will have ships by the coast.

His border will go as far as Sidon.

14“Issachar is a strong donkey,

lying down between the saddlebags.

15When he sees that his resting place is good

and that the land is pleasant,

he will bend his back to the burden

and will become a slave laborer.

16“Dan will hand down decisions #49:16 There is a play on words here between Hebrew Dan and yadin (he will hand down decisions). for his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

17Dan will be a snake on a road,

a viper on a path,

that bites a horse’s heels

so that its rider falls off backwards.

18“I wait with hope for you to rescue me, O Lord.

19“Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,

but he will strike back 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 has beautiful fawns.

22“Joseph is a fruitful tree,

a fruitful tree by a spring,

with branches climbing over a wall.

23Archers provoked him,

shot at him,

and attacked him.

24But his bow stayed steady, and his arms remained limber

because of the help of the Mighty One of Jacob,

because of the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25because of the God of your father who helps you,

because of the Almighty who gives you

blessings from the heavens above,

blessings from the deep springs below the ground,

blessings from breasts and womb.

26The blessings of your father are greater than

the blessings of the oldest mountains

and the riches of the ancient hills.

May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,

on the crown of the prince among his brothers.

27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.

In the morning he devours his prey.

In the evening he divides the plunder.”

28These are the 12 tribes of Israel and what their father said to them when he gave each of them his special blessing.

29Then he gave them these instructions, “I am about to join my ancestors in death. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 30Abraham bought the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre in Canaan, from Ephron the Hittite to use as a tomb. 31Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there. Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there. I also buried Leah there. 32The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.”

33When Jacob finished giving these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet into his bed. He took his last breath and joined his ancestors in death.

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