Genesis 49

Jacob [Israel] Blesses His 12 Sons

1 Jacob 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.4 You will no longer be firstbecause you were out of control like a floodand you climbed into your father’s bed.Then you dishonored it.He climbed up on my couch.5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.Their swordst are weapons of violence.6 Do 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.7 May 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 Jacoband 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.9 Judah, 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?10 A scepter will never depart from Judahnor a ruler’s staff from between his feetuntil Shiloh comesand the people obey him.11 He 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.12 His 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.15 When he sees that his resting place is goodand that the land is pleasant,he will bend his back to the burdenand will become a slave laborer.16 “Dan will hand down decisionst for his peopleas one of the tribes of Israel.17 Dan will be a snake on a road,a viper on a path,that bites a horse’s heelsso 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 freethat has beautiful fawns.22 “Joseph is a fruitful tree,a fruitful tree by a spring,with branches climbing over a wall.23 Archers provoked him,shot at him,and attacked him.24 But his bow stayed steady, and his arms remained limberbecause of the help of the Mighty One of Jacob,because of the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,25 because of the God of your father who helps you,because of the Almighty who gives youblessings from the heavens above,blessings from the deep springs below the ground,blessings from breasts and womb.26 The blessings of your father are greater thanthe blessings of the oldest mountainsand 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.”28 These are the 12 tribes of Israel and what their father said to them when he gave each of them his special blessing.29 Then 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.30 Abraham bought the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre in Canaan, from Ephron the Hittite to use as a tomb.31 Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there. Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there. I also buried Leah there.

32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.”
33 When 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.

Genesis 49

The Blessing of Jacob

1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell yout what will happen to you in the future.t

2 “Assemble and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.

3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might and the beginning of my strength,
outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power.

4 You are destructivet like water and will not excel,t
for you got on your father’s bed,s
then you defiled it – he got on my couch!t

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers,
weapons of violence are their knives!t

6 O my soul, do not come into their council,
do not be united to their assembly, my heart,t
for in their anger they have killed men,
and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce,
and their fury, for it was cruel.
I will divide them in Jacob,
and scatter them in Israel!s

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

9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah,
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He crouches and lies down like a lion;
like a lioness – who will rouse him?

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,t
until he comes to whom it belongs;t
the nations will obey him.t

11 Binding his foal to the vine,
and his colt to the choicest vine,
he will washt his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes will be dark from wine,
and his teeth white from milk.t

13 Zebulun will livet by the haven of the sea
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend to Sidon.

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

15 When he seest a good resting place,
and the pleasant land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and become a slave laborer.s

16 Dans will judget his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 May Dan be a snake beside the road,
a viper by the path,
that bites the heels of the horse
so that its rider falls backward.s

18 I wait for your deliverance, O Lord.s

19 Gad will be raided by marauding bands,
but he will attack them at their heels.ss

20 Asher’ss food will be rich,t
and he will provide delicaciest to royalty.

21 Naphtali is a free running doe,t
he speaks delightful words.ts

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough,t
a fruitful bough near a spring
whose branchest climb over the wall.

23 The archers will attack him,t
they will shoot at him and oppose him.

24 But his bow will remain steady,
and his handst will be skillful;
because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because oft the Shepherd, the Rockt of Israel,

25 because of the God of your father,
who will help you,t
because of the sovereign God,t
who will bless yout
with blessings from the sky above,
blessings from the deep that lies below,
and blessings of the breasts and womb.s

26 The blessings of your father are greater
thant the blessings of the eternal mountainst
or the desirable things of the age-old hills.
They will be on the head of Joseph
and on the brow of the prince of his brothers.t

27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning devouring the prey,
and in the evening dividing the plunder.”

28 Theset are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each of them an appropriate blessing.t
29 Then he instructed them,t “I am about to got to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.30 It is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought for a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite.31 There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and there I buried Leah.

32 The field and the cave in it were acquired from the sons of Heth.”t

33 When Jacob finished giving these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last breath, and wentt to his people.