Genesis 49

Israel’s Prophecy concerning His Sons

1Then JacobH3290 summonedH7121 his sonsH1121 and saidH559, “AssembleH622 yourselves that I may tellH5046 you whatH834 will befallH7122 you 1in the 2daysH3117 to comeH319.2GatherH6908 together and hearH8085, O sonsH1121 of JacobH3290; And 3listenH8085 to IsraelH3478 your fatherH1.

3“ReubenH7205, you are my firstbornH1060; My mightH3581 and 4the beginningH7225 of my strengthH202, 5PreeminentH3499 in dignityH7613 and 6preeminentH3499 in powerH5794.47UncontrolledH6349 as waterH4325, you shall not haveH3498 preeminenceH3498, 8BecauseH3588 you wentH5927 up to your father’sH1 bedH4904; ThenH227 you defiledH2490 it--he wentH5927 up to my couchH3326.

5“9SimeonH8095 and LeviH3878 are brothersH251; Their swordsH4380 are implementsH3627 of violenceH2555.610Let my soulH5315 not enterH935 into their councilH5475; Let not my gloryH3519 be unitedH3161 with their assemblyH6951; BecauseH3588 in their angerH639 they slewH2026 11menH376, And in their self-willH7522 they lamedH6136 12oxenH7794.7CursedH779 be their angerH639, for it is fierceH5794; And their wrathH5678, for it is cruelH7185. 13I will 14disperseH2505 them in JacobH3290, And scatterH6327 them in IsraelH3478.

8“JudahH3063, your brothersH251 shall praiseH3034 you; Your handH3027 shall be on the neckH6203 of your enemiesH340; 15Your father’sH1 sonsH1121 shall bowH7812 downH7812 to you.9JudahH3063 is a 16lion’sH743 whelpH1482; From the preyH2964, my sonH1121, you have goneH5927 up. 17He 18couchesH3766, he liesH7257 downH7257 as a lionH743, And as a 19lionH3833, whoH4310 20dares rouseH6965 him up?1021The scepterH7626 shall not departH5493 from JudahH3063, NorH3808 the ruler’sH2710 staffH2710 from betweenH996 his feetH7272, 22UntilH5704H3588 ShilohH7886 comesH935, And 23to him shall be the obedienceH3349 of the peoplesH5971.112425He tiesH631 his foalH5895 to the vineH1612, And his donkey’sH860 coltH1121 to the choiceH8321 vineH8321; 26He washesH3526 his garmentsH3830 in wineH3196, And his robesH5497 in the bloodH1818 of grapesH6025.12His eyesH5869 are 27dullH2447 from wineH3196, And his teethH8127 28whiteH3836 from milkH2461.

13“29ZebulunH2074 will dwellH7931 at the seashoreH3220H2348; And he shall be 30a havenH2348 for shipsH591, And his flankH3411 shall be towardH5921 SidonH6721.

14“IssacharH3485 is 31a strongH1634 donkeyH2543, 32LyingH7257 downH7257 betweenH996 the 33sheepfoldsH4942.15When he sawH7200 that a restingH4496 placeH4496 was goodH2896 And that the landH776 was pleasantH5276, He bowedH5186 his shoulderH7926 to bearH5445 burdens, And becameH1961 a slaveH5647 at forcedH4522 laborH4522.

16“34DanH1835 shall 35judgeH1777 his peopleH5971, As oneH259 of the tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478.17DanH1835 shall be a serpentH5175 in the wayH1870, A hornedH8207 snakeH8207 in the pathH734, That bitesH5391 the horse’sH5483 heelsH6119, So that his riderH7392 fallsH5307 backwardH268.1836For Your salvationH3444 I waitH6960, O LordH3068.

19“37As for GadH1410, 38raidersH1416 shall raidH1464 him, But he will raidH1464 at their 39heelsH6119.

20“4041As for 42AsherH836, his 43foodH3899 shall be 44richH8082, And he will yieldH5414 royalH4428 daintiesH4574.

21“45NaphtaliH5321 is a doeH355 letH7971 looseH7971, He givesH5414 beautifulH8233 wordsH561.

22“46JosephH3130 is a fruitfulH6509 47boughH1121, A fruitfulH6509 48boughH1121 by a springH5869; Its 49branchesH1323 runH6805 overH5921 a wallH7791.23The archersH1167H2671 bitterlyH4843 attacked him, And shotH7232 at him and harassedH7852 him;24But his 50bowH7198 remainedH3427 51firmH386, And 5253his armsH2220 were agileH6339, From the handsH3027 of the 54MightyH46 OneH46 of JacobH3290 (From thereH8033 is 55the ShepherdH7462, 56the StoneH68 of IsraelH3478),25From 57the GodH410 of your fatherH1 who helpsH5826 you, And 5859by the 60AlmightyH7706 who blessesH1288 you With 61blessingsH1293 of heavenH8064 aboveH4480H5921, BlessingsH1293 of the deepH8415 that liesH7257 beneathH8478, BlessingsH1293 of the breastsH7699 and of the wombH7358.26The blessingsH1293 of your fatherH1 Have surpassedH1396 the blessingsH1293 of my ancestorsH2029 Up to the 62utmostH8379 boundH8379 of 63the everlastingH5769 hillsH1389; May they be on the headH7218 of JosephH3130, And on the crownH6936 of the headH6936 of the oneH5139 distinguishedH5139 among his brothersH251.

27“BenjaminH1144 is a 64ravenousH2963 wolfH2061; In the morningH1242 he devoursH398 the preyH5706, And in the eveningH6153 he dividesH2505 the spoilH7998.”

28AllH3605 theseH428 are the twelveH8147H6240 tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478, and thisH2088 is whatH834 their fatherH1 saidH1696 to them 65when he blessedH1288 them. He blessedH1288 them, everyH376 oneH376 66with the blessingH1293 appropriate to him. 29Then he chargedH6680 them and saidH559 to them, “I am about to be 67gatheredH622 to my peopleH5971; 68buryH6912 me with my fathersH1 in the caveH4631 that is in 69the fieldH7704 of EphronH6085 the HittiteH2850, 30in the 70caveH4631 that is in the fieldH7704 of MachpelahH4375, whichH834 is beforeH5921H6440 MamreH4471, in the landH776 of CanaanH3667, whichH834 AbrahamH85 boughtH7069 along with the fieldH7704 from EphronH6085 the HittiteH2850 for a 71burialH6913 siteH272. 31ThereH8033 they buriedH6912 72AbrahamH85 and his wifeH802 73SarahH8283, thereH8033 they buriedH6912 74IsaacH3327 and his wifeH802 RebekahH7259, and thereH8033 I buriedH6912 LeahH3812-- 32the fieldH7704 and the caveH4631 that is in it, purchasedH4735 from the sonsH1121 of HethH2845.” 33When JacobH3290 finishedH3615 chargingH6680 his sonsH1121, he drewH622 his feetH7272 into the bedH4296 and 75breathedH1478 his lastH1478, and was 76gatheredH622 to his peopleH5971.