Genesis 49

Jacob Blesses His Sons

1 Then Jacob called his sons to him. He said, “Come here to me, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the future.

2 “Come together and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.”

3 “Reuben, my first son, you are my strength. Your birth showed I could be a father.
You have the highest position among my sons, and you are the most powerful.

4 But you are uncontrolled like water, so you will no longer lead your brothers.
This is because you got into your father’s bed and shamed me by having sexual relations with my slave girl.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers who used their swords to do violence.

6 I will not join their secret talks, and I will not meet with them to plan evil.
They killed men because they were angry, and they crippled oxen just for fun.

7 May their anger be cursed, because it is too violent. May their violence be cursed, because it is too cruel.
I will divide them up among the tribes of Jacob and scatter them through all the tribes of Israel.

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grab your enemies by the neck, and your brothers will bow down to you.

9 Judah is like a young lion. You have returned from killing, my son.
Like a lion, he stretches out and lies down to rest, and no one is brave enough to wake him.

10 Kings will come from Judah’s family; someone from Judah will always be on the throne.
Judah will rule until Shiloh comes, and the nations will obey him.

11 He ties his donkey to a grapevine, his young donkey to the best branch.
He can afford to use wine to wash his clothes and the best wine to wash his robes.

12 His eyes are dark like the color of wine, and his teeth are as white as the color of milk.

13 “Zebulun will live near the sea. His shore will be a safe place for ships, and his land will reach as far as Sidon.

14 “Issachar is like a strong donkey who lies down while carrying his load.

15 When he sees his resting place is good and how pleasant his land is,
he will put his back to the load and become a slave.

16 “Dan will rule his own people like the other tribes in Israel.

17 Dan will be like a snake by the side of the road, a dangerous snake lying near the path.
That snake bites a horse’s leg, and the rider is thrown off backward.

18 “Lord, I wait for your salvation.

19 “Robbers will attack Gad, but he will defeat them and drive them away.

20 “Asher’s land will grow much good food; he will grow food fit for a king.

21 “Naphtali is like a female deer that runs free, that has beautiful fawns.

22 “Joseph is like a grapevine that produces much fruit, a healthy vine watered by a spring, whose branches grow over the wall.

23 Archers attack him violently and shoot at him angrily,

24 but he aims his bow well. His arms are made strong.
He gets his power from the Mighty God of Jacob and his strength from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

25 Your father’s God helps you. God Almighty blesses you.
He blesses you with rain from above, with water from springs below,
with many babies born to your wives, and many young ones born to your animals.

26 The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the oldest mountains, greater than the good things of the long-lasting hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, on the forehead of the one who was separated from his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is like a hungry wolf. In the morning he eats what he has caught, and in the evening he divides what he has taken.”
28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them. He gave each son the blessing that was right for him.29 Then Israel gave them a command and said, “I am about to die. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.30 That cave is in the field of Machpelah east of Mamre in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought the field and cave from Ephron the Hittite for a burying place.31 Abraham and Sarah his wife are buried there. Isaac and Rebekah his wife are buried there, and I buried my wife Leah there.32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittite people.”33 After Jacob finished talking to his sons, he lay down. He put his feet back on the bed, took his last breath, and died.

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.