Genesis 49

Jacob Speaks Over His Sons

1Jacob called his sons and said to them: Gather together so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the last days.

2Be assembled and listen, sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father.

3Reuben, my firstborn are you, my vigor and firstborn of my power, endowed with extra dignity, endowed with extra strength—

4like water boiling over you will not have extra, for you got up into your father’s bed, when you defiled a maid’s couch.

5Simeon and Levi are brothers, instruments of violence are their knives.

6In their secret counsel may my soul not enter. In their contingent may my honor never be united. For in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they maimed oxen.

7Cursed be their anger for it was strong and their rage for it was cruel— I will disperse them in Jacob, I will scatter them in Israel.

8Judah, so you are— your brothers will praise you: Your hand will be on your enemies’ neck. Your father’s sons will bow down to you.

9A lion’s cub is Judah— from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches, lies down like a lion, or like a lioness— who would rouse him?

10The scepter will not pass from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs will come. To him will be the obedience of the peoples.

11Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine, and in the blood of grapes his robe.

12His eyes are darker than wine, and teeth that are whiter than milk.

13Zebulun will dwell by the seashore, and be by a harbor for ships— his distant border reaches Sidon.

14Issachar is a strong-boned donkey, lying down between two saddlebags.

15He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant. He leaned his shoulder to bear a burden, and became a forced laborer.

16Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

17Let Dan be a serpent beside a road, a viper beside a path, who strikes a horse’s heels, so that its rider falls backward.

18For your salvation I wait, Adonai!

19Gad—attackers will attack him, but he will attack their heels.

20Asher—rich is his food— he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

21Naphtali is a doe let loose, who offers words of beauty.

22A fruitful son is Joseph, a fruitful son beside a spring— daughters walk along a wall.

23The archers were bitter and shot arrows and were hostile towards him.

24Yet his bow was always filled, and his arms quick-moving— by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. From there a Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,

25from the God of your father who helps you, and Shaddai who blesses you, with blessings of heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of breasts and womb.

26The blessings of your father surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains, the desire of the everlasting hills. May they be upon Joseph’s head, upon the crown of the one set apart from his brothers.

27Benjamin is a ravening wolf— in the morning he devours spoils, and in the evening divides plunder.

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

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, that is next to Mamre in the land of Canaan—the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a property for burial.

31There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, and there I buried Leah.

32The field was purchased along with the cave in it from the sons of Het.”

33When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, then breathed his last and was gathered to his peoples.

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Genesis 49

Jacob's Blessing

1And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

2Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob;

And hearken unto Israel your father.

3Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength,

The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

4Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel;

Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed;

Then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

5Simeon and Levi are brethren;

Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

6O my soul, come not thou into their secret;

Unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united:

For in their anger they slew a man,

And in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;

And their wrath, for it was cruel:

I will divide them in Jacob,

And scatter them in Israel.

8Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise:

Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies;

Thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

9Judah is a lion's whelp:

From the prey, my son, thou art gone up:

He stooped down, he couched as a lion,

And as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,

Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,

Until Shiloh come;

And unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

11Binding his foal unto the vine,

And his ass's colt unto the choice vine;

He washed his garments in wine,

And his clothes in the blood of grapes:

12His eyes shall be red with wine,

And his teeth white with milk.

13Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea;

And he shall be for an haven of ships;

And his border shall be unto Zidon.

14Issachar is a strong ass

Couching down between two burdens:

15And he saw that rest was good,

And the land that it was pleasant;

And bowed his shoulder to bear,

And became a servant unto tribute.

16Dan shall judge his people,

As one of the tribes of Israel.

17Dan shall be a serpent by the way,

An adder in the path,

That biteth the horse heels,

So that his rider shall fall backward.

18I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.

19Gad, a troop shall overcome him:

But he shall overcome at the last.

20Out of Asher his bread shall be fat,

And he shall yield royal dainties.

21Naphtali is a hind let loose:

He giveth goodly words.

22Joseph is a fruitful bough,

Even a fruitful bough by a well;

Whose branches run over the wall:

23The archers have sorely grieved him,

And shot at him, and hated him:

24But his bow abode in strength,

And the arms of his hands were made strong

By the hands of the mighty God of Jacob;

(From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee;

And by the Almighty, who shall bless thee

With blessings of heaven above,

Blessings of the deep that lieth under,

Blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

26The blessings of thy father

Have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors

Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills:

They shall be on the head of Joseph,

And on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

27Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf:

In the morning he shall devour the prey,

And at night he shall divide the spoil.

Death of Jacob

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them. 29And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto 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 with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. 31There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. 32The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth. 33And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Published by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

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