49Genesis 49

1Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.Select Genesis 49:1

2Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.Select Genesis 49:2

3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.Select Genesis 49:3

4Boiling over like water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.Select Genesis 49:4

5“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.Select Genesis 49:5

6My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.Select Genesis 49:6

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.Select Genesis 49:7

8“Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you.Select Genesis 49:8

9Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?Select Genesis 49:9

10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.Select Genesis 49:10

11Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.Select Genesis 49:11

12His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.Select Genesis 49:12

13“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.Select Genesis 49:13

14“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.Select Genesis 49:14

15He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor.Select Genesis 49:15

16“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.Select Genesis 49:16

17Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.Select Genesis 49:17

18I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.Select Genesis 49:18

19“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.Select Genesis 49:19

20“Asher’s food will be rich. He will yield royal dainties.Select Genesis 49:20

21“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.Select Genesis 49:21

22“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.Select Genesis 49:22

23The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him:Select Genesis 49:23

24But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),Select Genesis 49:24

25even by the God of your father, who will help you; by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.Select Genesis 49:25

26The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.Select Genesis 49:26

27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”Select Genesis 49:27

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing.Select Genesis 49:28

29He instructed 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,Select Genesis 49:29

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 from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.Select Genesis 49:30

31There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:Select Genesis 49:31

32the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.”Select Genesis 49:32

33When Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.Select Genesis 49:33