Genesis 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. 2Listen to Israel, your father. Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. 3excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; 4because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch. Boiling over like water, you shall not excel; 5Their swords are weapons of violence. “Simeon and Levi are brothers. 6My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; In their self-will they hamstrung cattle. My soul, don’t come into their council. for in their anger they killed men. 7and their wrath, for it was cruel. and scatter them in Israel. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; I will divide them in Jacob, 8Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you. “Judah, your brothers will praise you. 9From the prey, my son, you have gone up. as a lioness. Who will rouse him up? Judah is a lion’s cub. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, 10nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, To him will the obedience of the peoples be. The scepter will not depart from Judah, until he comes to whom it belongs. 11his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; his robes in the blood of grapes. Binding his foal to the vine, he has washed his garments in wine, 12his teeth white with milk. His eyes will be red with wine, 13He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon. “Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. 14lying down between the saddlebags. “Issachar is a strong donkey, 15the land, that it was pleasant. and becomes a servant doing forced labor. He saw a resting place, that it was good, He bows his shoulder to the burden, 16as one of the tribes of Israel. “Dan will judge his people, 17an adder in the path, so that his rider falls backward. Dan will be a serpent on the trail, That bites the horse’s heels, 18I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh. 19but he will press on their heel. “A troop will press on Gad, 20He will produce royal dainties. “Asher’s food will be rich. 21who bears beautiful fawns. “Naphtali is a doe set free, 22a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall. “Joseph is a fruitful vine, 23shot at him, and persecute him: The archers have severely grieved him, 24The 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), But his bow remained strong. 25by the Almighty, who will bless you, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. even by the God of your father, who will help you; with blessings of heaven above, 26above the boundaries of the ancient hills. on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers. The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors, They will be on the head of Joseph, 27In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.” “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. 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. 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, 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. 31There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah: 32the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.” 33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.