Chapter 49
1 Jacob 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 .
2 Assemble yourselves , and hear , you sons of Jacob . Listen to Israel , your father .
3 " Reuben , you are my firstborn , my might , and the beginning of my strength , excelling in dignity , and excelling in power .
4 Boiling over like water , you shall not excel , because you went up to your father’s bed , then defiled it . He went up to my couch .
5 " Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence .
6 My soul , don’t come into their council . My glory , don’t be united to their assembly ; for in their anger they killed men . In their self-will they hamstrung cattle .
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 , 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 Judah is a lion ’s cub . From the prey , my son , you have gone up . He stooped down , he crouched as a lion , as a lioness . Who will rouse him up ?
10 The sceptre will not depart from Judah , nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet , until he comes to whom it belongs. The obedience of the peoples will be to him .
11 Binding his foal to the vine , his donkey’s colt to the choice vine , he has washed his garments in wine , his robes in the blood of grapes .
12 His eyes will be red with wine , his teeth white with milk .
13 " Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea . He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon .
14 " Issachar is a strong donkey , lying down between the saddlebags.
15 He saw a resting place , that it was good , the land, that it was pleasant . He bows his shoulder to the burden , and becomes a servant doing forced labour .
16 " Dan will judge his people , as one of the tribes of Israel .
17 Dan will be a serpent on the trail , an adder in the path , that bites the horse ’s heels , so that his rider falls backward.
18 I have waited for your salvation , LORD .
19 " A troop will press on Gad , but he will press on their heel .
20 "Asher’s food will be rich . He will produce royal dainties .
21 " Naphtali is a doe set free , who bears beautiful fawns.
22 " Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring . His branches run over the wall .
23 The archers have severely grieved him , shot at him , and persecuted him :
24 But his bow remained strong . The 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 ),
25 even by the God of your father, who will help you , by the Almighty , who will bless you , with blessings of heaven above , blessings of the deep that lies below , blessings of the breasts , and of the womb .
26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my ancestors , above the boundaries of the ancient hills . They will be on the head of Joseph , on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.
27 " Benjamin is a ravenous wolf . In the morning he will devour the prey . At evening he will divide the plunder ."
28 All 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 own blessing .
29 He 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 ,
30 in 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 .
31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah , his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah , his wife, and there I buried Leah :
32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth ."
33 When Jacob finished charging his sons , he gathered up his feet into the bed , breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people .