Genesis 49
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
World English Bible
1And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: 'Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days.
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.
2Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
2Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
3Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the first-fruits of my strength; the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power.
3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
4Unstable as water, have not thou the excellency; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it — he went up to my couch.
4Boiling 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.
5Simeon and Levi are brethren; weapons of violence their kinship.
5“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.
6Let my soul not come into their council; unto their assembly let my glory not be united; for in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they houghed oxen.
6My 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.
7Cursed 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.
7Cursed 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.
8Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.
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.
9Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
9Judah 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?
10The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.
10The scepter 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.
11Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washeth his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes;
11Binding 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.
12His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
12His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
13Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea, and he shall be a shore for ships, and his flank shall be upon Zidon.
13“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
14Issachar is a large-boned ass, couching down between the sheep-folds.
14“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.
15For he saw a resting-place that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant under task-work
15He 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 labor.
16Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
16“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, so that his rider falleth backward.
17Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.
18I wait for Thy salvation, O Lord.
18I have waited for your salvation, LORD.
19Gad, a troop shall troop upon him; but he shall troop upon their heel.
19“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.
20As for Asher, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
20“Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.
21Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
21“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
22Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a fountain; its branches run over the wall.
22“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
23The archers have dealt bitterly with him, and shot at him, and hated him;
23The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him:
24But his bow abode firm, and the arms of his hands were made supple, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, from thence, from the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,
24But 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),
25Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that coucheth beneath, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.
25even 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.
26The blessings of thy father are mighty beyond the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the prince among his brethren.
26The 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.
27Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he devoureth the prey, and at even he divideth the spoil.'
27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”
28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
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 own blessing.
29And he charged them, and said unto them: 'I am to be gathered unto my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
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 for a possession of a burying-place.
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.
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.'
32the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.”
33And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and expired, and was gathered unto his people.
33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.
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