Genesis 49

Jacob reveals his sons’ destinies

1Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the coming days.

2Assemble yourselves and listen, sons of Jacob;

listen to Israel your father.

3Reuben, you are my oldest son,

my strength and my first contender,#49.3 Or first of my power

superior in status and superior in might.

4As wild as the waters, you won’t endure,

for you went up to your father’s bed,

you went up#49.4 LXX; MT he went up and violated my couch.

5Simeon and Levi are brothers,

weapons of violence their stock in trade.

6May I myself never enter their council.

May my honor never be linked to their group;

for when they were angry, they killed men,

and whenever they wished, they maimed oxen.

7Cursed be their anger; it is violent,

their rage; it is relentless.

I’ll divide them up within Jacob

and disperse them within Israel.

8Judah, you are the one your brothers will honor;

your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;

your father’s sons will bow down to you.

9Judah is a lion’s cub;

from the prey, my son, you rise up.

He lies down and crouches like a lion;

like a lioness—who dares disturb him?

10The scepter won’t depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from among his banners.#49.10 Sam; MT his feet

Gifts will be brought to him;

people will obey him.

11He ties his male donkey to the vine,

the colt of his female donkey to the vine’s branches.

He washes his clothes in wine,

his garments in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth whiter than milk.

13Zebulun will live at the seashore;

he’ll live at the harbor of ships,

his border will be at Sidon.

14Issachar is a sturdy donkey,

bedding down beside the village hearths.#49.14 Or stubbornly lying beneath its saddlebags

15He saw that a resting place was good

and that the land was pleasant.

He lowered his shoulder to haul loads

and joined the work gangs.

16Dan#49.16 Or he judges, or settles disputes will settle disputes for his people,

as one of Israel’s tribes.

17Dan will be a snake on the road,

a serpent on the path,

biting a horse’s heels,

so its rider falls backward.

18I long for your victory, LORD.

19Gad#49.19 Or he attacks or good fortune will be attacked by attackers,

but he’ll attack their back.

20Asher#49.20 LXX, Syr, Vulg; MT from Asher grows fine foods,

and he will supply the king’s delicacies.

21Naphtali is a wild doe

that gives birth to beautiful fawns.#49.21 Or who gives beautiful words

22Joseph is a young bull,#49.22 Heb uncertain

a young bull by a spring,

who strides with oxen.#49.22 Heb uncertain

23They attacked him fiercely and fired arrows;

the archers attacked him furiously.

24But his bow stayed strong,

and his forearms were nimble,#49.24 Heb uncertain; or flexible

by the hands of the strong one of Jacob,

by the name of the shepherd, the rock of Israel,

25by God, your father, who supports you,

by the Almighty#49.25 Heb Shaddai or the Mountain One who blesses you

with blessings from the skies above

and blessings from the deep sea below,

blessings from breasts and womb.

26The blessings of your father exceed

the blessings of the eternal mountains,#49.26 LXX; Heb uncertain

the wealth of the everlasting hills.

May they all rest on Joseph’s head,

on the forehead of the one set apart from his brothers.

27Benjamin is a wolf who hunts:

in the morning he devours the prey;

in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them. He blessed them by giving each man his own particular blessing.

Jacob’s death and burial

29Jacob ordered them, “I am soon to join my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave that’s in the field of Ephron the Hittite; 30in the cave that’s in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in the land of Canaan that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial property. 31That is where Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and where Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and where I buried Leah. 32It is the field and the cave in it that belonged to the Hittites.” 33After he finished giving orders to his sons, he put his feet up on the bed, took his last breath, and joined his people.

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Genesis 49

Jacob’s Prophecy concerning His Sons

1Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves, so that I may tell you what will happen to you in the #49:1 Lit end of the daysdays to come.

2“Gather together and listen, sons of Jacob;

Yes, 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.

4“#49:4 Or Gushing overUncontrollable 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 #49:5 Or plans; meaning uncertainswords are implements of violence.

6“May my soul not enter into their council;

May my glory not be united with their assembly;

For in their anger they killed #49:6 Lit a manmen,

And in their self-will they lamed #49:6 Lit an oxoxen.

7“Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;

And their wrath, for it is cruel.

I will scatter them in Jacob,

And disperse them among Israel.

8¶“As for you, 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.

9“Judah is a lion’s cub;

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

He #49:9 Lit bows downcrouches, he lies down as a lion,

And as a #49:9 Lit lionesslion, who #49:9 Lit shalldares to stir him up?

10“The scepter will not depart from Judah,

Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

# 49:10 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.

11“He 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.

12“His eyes are #49:12 Or darker thandull from wine,

And his teeth #49:12 Or whiter thanwhite from milk.

13¶“Zebulun will reside at the seashore;

And he shall be #49:13 Lit a shore of shipsa harbor for ships,

And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14¶“Issachar is a #49:14 Lit donkey of bonestrong donkey,

Lying down between the sheepfolds.

15“When he saw that a resting place was good

And that the land was pleasant,

He bowed his shoulder to carry burdens,

And became a slave at forced labor.

16¶“Dan shall judge his people,

As one of the tribes of Israel.

17“Dan shall be a serpent in the way,

A horned viper in the path,

That bites the horse’s heels,

So that its rider falls backward.

18“For Your salvation I wait, Lord.

19¶“As for Gad, a band of raiders shall attack him,

But he will attack at their #49:19 Lit heelheels.

20¶“#49:20 Lit FromAs for Asher, his #49:20 Or breadfood shall be #49:20 Lit fatrich,

And he will yield royal delicacies.

21¶“Naphtali is a doe let loose;

He utters beautiful words.

22¶“Joseph is a fruitful #49:22 Lit sonbranch,

A fruitful #49:22 Lit sonbranch by a spring;

Its #49:22 Lit daughtersbranches hang over a wall.

23“The archers provoked him,

And shot at him and were hostile toward him;

24But his bow remained #49:24 I.e., in an unyielding positionfirm,

And #49:24 Lit the arms of his handshis 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 #49:25 Or withby the #49:25 Heb ShaddaiAlmighty who blesses you

With blessings of heaven above,

Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,

Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26“The blessings of your father

Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors

Up to the #49:26 Lit limit; or desirefurthest boundary of the everlasting hills;

May they be on the head of Joseph,

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

27¶“Benjamin is a #49:27 Lit a wolf that tearsravenous wolf;

In the morning he devours the prey,

And in the evening he divides the spoils.”

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them #49:28 Lit andwhen he blessed them. He blessed them, every one #49:28 Lit according to his blessingwith the blessing appropriate to him.

Jacob Dies

29Then he commanded 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 opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a #49:30 Lit possession of a burial placeburial 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 commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

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