Genesis 49

Jacob Blesses His Twelve Sons

1Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together so that I can tell you what will happen with you in days to come.#Literally “the latter days”

2Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob!

Listen to Israel your father!

3Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my strength, and the firstfruit of my vigor,

excelling in rank and excelling in power.

4Unstable#Or “reckless” as water, you shall not excel any longer,

for you went up upon the bed of your father,

then defiled it. You went up upon my couch!

5Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

Let me#Or “my soul” not come into their council.

6Let not my person#Or “my glory” be joined to their company.

For in their anger they killed men,

and at their pleasure they hamstrung cattle.

7Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath, for it is cruel.

I will divide them in Jacob,

and I will scatter them in Israel.

8Judah, as for you, your brothers shall praise you.

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies.

The sons of your father shall bow down to you.

9Judah is a lion’s cub.

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

He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness.

Who shall rouse him?

10The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff between his feet,

until Shiloh comes.

And to him shall be the obedience of nations.

11Binding his donkey to the vine

and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,

he washes his clothing in the wine

and his garment in the blood of grapes.

12The eyes are darker than wine,

and the teeth whiter than milk.

13Zebulun shall settle by the shore of the sea.

He shall become a haven for ships,

and his border shall be at Sidon.

14Issachar is a strong donkey,

crouching between the sheepfolds.

15He saw a resting place that was good,

and land that was pleasant.

So he bowed his shoulder to the burden

and became a servant of forced labor.

16Dan shall judge his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

17Dan shall be a serpent on the way,

a viper on the road

that bites the heels of a horse,

so that its rider falls backward.

18I wait for your salvation, O Yahweh.

19Bandits shall attack Gad,

but he shall attack their heels.

20Asher’s food is delicious,

and he shall provide from the king’s delicacies.

21Naphtali is a doe running free

that puts forth beautiful words.

22Joseph is the bough#Or “son” of a fruitful vine,

a fruitful bough#Or “son” by a spring.

His branches climb over the wall.

23The archers#Literally “the masters of the bow” fiercely attacked him.

They shot arrows at him and were hostile to him.

24But his bow remained in a steady position;

his arms#Literally “the arms of his hands” were made agile

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob.

From there is the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

25Because of the God of your father he will help you

and by Shaddai#Or “the Almighty” he will bless you

with the blessings of heaven above,

blessings of the deep that crouches beneath,

blessings of the breasts and the womb.

26The blessings of your father

are superior to the blessings of my ancestors,

to the bounty of the everlasting hills.

May they be on the head of Joseph,

and on the forehead of the prince of his brothers.

27Benjamin is a devouring wolf,

devouring the prey in the morning,

and dividing the plunder in the evening.

The Death and Burial of Jacob

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, each according to their blessing. 29Then he instructed them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me among my ancestors#Or “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 before#Or “east of” Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. 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 the cave which was in it from the Hittites.” 33When Jacob finished instructing his sons he drew his feet up to the bed. Then he took his last breath and was gathered to his people.

2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Learn More About Lexham English Bible

Genesis 49

Jacob's Prophecy concerning His Sons

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 honor, be not thou united:

for in their anger they slew a man,

and in their self-will 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.

9 # Num 24.9. Judah 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.

13Zeb´ulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea;

and he shall be for a haven of ships;

and his border shall be unto Zidon.

14Is´sachar 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.

21Naph´tali 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 raven as a wolf:

in the morning he shall devour the prey,

and at night he shall divide the spoil.

The Death and Burial 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, 30#Gen 23.3-20. in the cave that is in the field of Machpe´lah, 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. 31#Gen 25.9,10; Gen 35.29. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Le´ah. 32The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth. 33#Acts 7.15. And 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.

Learn More About King James Version with Apocrypha, American Edition