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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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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