Genesis 49

Chapter 49

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons

1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
2 “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,
the child of my vigorous youth.
You are first in rank and first in power.4 But you are as unruly as a flood,
and you will be first no longer.
For you went to bed with my wife;
you defiled my marriage couch.5 “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind;
their weapons are instruments of violence.6 May I never join in their meetings;
may I never be a party to their plans.
For in their anger they murdered men,
and they crippled oxen just for sport.7 A curse on their anger, for it is fierce;
a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob;
I will disperse them throughout Israel.8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
All your relatives will bow before you.9 Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,t
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,t
the one whom all nations will honor.11 He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.12 His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.13 “Zebulun will settle by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships;
his borders will extend to Sidon.14 “Issachar is a sturdy donkey,
resting between two saddlepacks.t15 When he sees how good the countryside is
and how pleasant the land,
he will bend his shoulder to the load
and submit himself to hard labor.16 “Dan will govern his people,
like any other tribe in Israel.17 Dan will be a snake beside the road,
a poisonous viper along the path
that bites the horse’s hooves
so its rider is thrown off.18 I trust in you for salvation, O LORD!19 “Gad will be attacked by marauding bands,
but he will attack them when they retreat.20 “Asher will dine on rich foods
and produce food fit for kings.21 “Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.22 “Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey,
the foal of a wild donkey at a spring—
one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.t23 Archers attacked him savagely;
they shot at him and harassed him.24 But his bow remained taut,
and his arms were strengthened
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.25 May the God of your father help you;
may the Almighty bless you
with the blessings of the heavens above,
and blessings of the watery depths below,
and blessings of the breasts and womb.26 May the blessings of your father
surpass the blessings of the ancient mountains,t
reaching to the heights of the eternal hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,
who is a prince among his brothers.27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
devouring his enemies in the morning
and dividing his plunder in the evening.”

28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.

Jacob’s Death and Burial

29 Then Jacob instructed them, “Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.30 This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site.31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah.

32 It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites.”

33 When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, 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.