Genesis 49
1 AND JACOB called for his sons and said, Gather yourselves together [around me], that I may tell you what shall befall you in the latter or last days.2 Gather yourselves together and hear, you sons of Jacob; and hearken to Israel your father.3 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the beginning (the firstfruits) of my manly strength and vigor; [your birthright gave you] the preeminence in dignity and the preeminence in power.4 But unstable and boiling over like water, you shall not excel and have the preeminence [of the firstborn], because you went to your father’s bed; you defiled it--he went to my couch! 5 Simeon and Levi are brothers [equally headstrong, deceitful, vindictive, and cruel]; their swords are weapons of violence. 6 O my soul, come not into their secret council; unto their assembly let not my honor be united [for I knew nothing of their plot], because in their anger they slew men [an honored man, Shechem, and the Shechemites], and in their self-will they disabled oxen.7 Cursed 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.8 Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.9 Judah, a lion’s cub! With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain]. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, and like a lioness--who dares provoke and rouse him? 10 The scepter or leadership shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes to Whom it belongs, and to Him shall be the obedience of the people. 11 Binding His foal to the vine and His donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washes His garments in wine and His clothes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes are darker and more sparkling than wine, and His teeth whiter than milk.13 Zebulun shall live toward the seashore, and he shall be a haven and a landing place for ships; and his border shall be toward Sidon.14 Issachar is a strong-boned donkey crouching down between the sheepfolds.15 And he saw that rest was good and that the land was pleasant; and he bowed his shoulder to bear [his burdens] and became a servant to tribute [subjected to forced labor].16 Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a horned snake in the path, that bites at the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.18 I wait for Your salvation, O Lord.19 Gad--a raiding troop shall raid him, but he shall raid at their heels and assault them [victoriously].20 Asher’s food [supply] shall be rich and fat, and he shall yield and deliver royal delights.21 Naphtali is a hind let loose which yields lovely fawns.22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well (spring or fountain), whose branches run over the wall.23 Skilled archers have bitterly attacked and sorely worried him; they have shot at him and persecuted him.24 But his bow remained strong and steady and rested in the Strength that does not fail him, for the arms of his hands were made strong and active by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, 25 By the God of your father, Who will help you, and by the Almighty, Who will bless you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings lying in the deep beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.26 The blessings of your father [on you] are greater than the blessings of my forefathers [Abraham and Isaac on me] and are as lasting as the bounties of the eternal hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was the consecrated one and the one separated from his brethren and [the one who] is prince among them.27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at night dividing the spoil.28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one according to the blessing suited to him.29 He charged them and said to them, I am to be gathered to my [departed] people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,30 In the cave in the field at Machpelah, east of Mamre in the land of Canaan, that Abraham bought, along with the field of Ephron the Hittite, to possess as a cemetery. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.32 The purchase of the field and the cave that is in it was from the sons of Heth.33 When Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his [departed] people.
GÉNESIS 49
Testamento de Jacob
1 Jacob llamó a sus hijos y les dijo:
— Reúnanse, que les voy a contar lo que les va a suceder en el futuro.
2 Agrúpense y escúchenme, hijos de Jacob; escuchen a su padre Israel:
3 Rubén, tú eres mi primogénito,
mi fuerza y primicia de mi virilidad,
el primero en rango,
el primero en podert.
4 Impetuoso como un torrente,
ya no tendrás la primacía,
porque deshonraste el lecho de tu padret,
profanando mi cama con tu acción.
5 Simeón y Leví son hermanost,
instrumento de violencia son sus armas.
6 No querría estar presente en sus reuniones,
ni comprometer mi honor en sus asambleas,
pues cuando se enfurecieron mataron hombres,
y en su crueldad desjarretaron bueyest.
7 Maldita su ira tan violenta,
y su furor tan feroz.
Yo los dividiré en Jacob,
los dispersaré en Israel.
8 A ti, Judá, te alabarán tus hermanos,
doblegarás el cuello de tus enemigos;
los hijos de tu padre se postrarán ante ti.
9 Cachorro de león es mi hijo Judát
que vuelve de hacer presa;
cuando se echa y se recuesta como león
o como leona, ¿quién lo desafiará?
10 No se apartará de Judá el cetro,
ni el bastón de mando
de entre sus rodillas,
hasta que llegue aquel
a quien le pertenecet
y a quien obedecerán los pueblos.
11 Él amarra su burro a una vid,
y a una cepa las crías de su asna.
Él lava en vino su vestido,
en sangre de uvas su manto.
12 Son sus ojos más oscuros que el vino,
sus dientes más blancos que la leche.
13 Zabulón habita junto al mar,
servirá de puerto a los barcos,
sus fronteras llegarán hasta Sidónt.
14 Isacar es un asno robusto*
que se tumba entre las alforjast.
15 Viendo que el establo es bueno
y que la tierra es confortable,
inclina el lomo a la carga
y acepta trabajos de esclavo.
16 Dan gobernarát a su pueblo
como una de las tribus de Israel.
17 Será como serpiente en el camino,
como víbora junto al sendero,
que muerde al caballo en las patas
y hace caer de espaldas al jinete.
18 Espero tu salvación, Señor.
19 A Gad lo asaltan los bandidos,
pero él los atacará por la espaldat.
20 Aser presume de frutos sabrosost,
ofrecerá manjares de reyes.
21 Neftalí es una cierva en libertad,
sus cervatillos son preciosost.
22 José es un retoño fértil,
fértil retoño junto al agua,
sus ramas trepan por el muro.
23 Los arqueros provocaron su ira,
lo desafiaron lanzándole flechas.
24 Pero su arco se mantiene firme,
ágiles sus manos y sus brazos,
pues lo auxilia el Fuerte de Jacob,
lo ampara el Pastor, la Roca de Israel.
25 Que te proteja el Dios de tu padre,
que el Todopoderoso te bendiga
con bendiciones arriba en el cielo,
con bendiciones abajo en el abismo,
con bendiciones que colmen
pechos y senos maternos.
26 Las bendiciones de tu padre,
mejores que las de las antiguas montañas,
más deliciosas que las colinas eternas,
desciendan sobre la cabeza de José,
sobre la frente del escogido
entre todos sus hermanos.
27 Benjamín es un lobo rapaz,
que en la mañana devora a su presa
y por la tarde reparte los despojost.
28 Estas son las doce tribus de Israel, y esto es lo que su padre les dijo al bendecirlas; a cada una le dio una bendición especial.Muerte de Jacob
29 Además, Jacob les dio estas instrucciones:
— Yo estoy a punto de reunirme con los míos; sepúltenme junto a mis antepasados, en la cueva que está en el campo de Efrón el hitita; 30 me refiero a la cueva de Macpelá, la que compró Abrahán al hitita Efrón para tener una sepultura en propiedad y que está frente a Mambré, en la tierra de Canaánt. 31 Allí sepultaron a Abrahán y a su esposa Sara; allí sepultaron a Isaact y a su esposa Rebeca, y allí sepulté yo a Lía.
32 El campo y la cueva fueron comprados a los hititas.
33 Cuando Jacob terminó de dar estas instrucciones a sus hijos, encogió sus pies en la cama, expiró y fue a reunirse con los suyost.
