Genesis

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, 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.

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.

5“Simeon and Levi are brothers.Their swords are weapons of violence.

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.

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 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 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 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 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.

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.

16“Dan will judge his people,as one of the tribes of Israel.

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 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.

23The archers have severely grieved him,shot at him, and persecuted him:

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 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 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.”

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.

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, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.

Jacob Blesses His Sons

1Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come:

2Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob;listen to your father Israel.

3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might,and the beginning of my strength,excelling in honor,excelling in power.

4Uncontrolled as the waters,you will no longer excel,because you went up to your father’s bed,onto my couch, and defiled it.

5Simeon and Levi are brothers;their swordsare weapons of violence.

6May I never enter their council;may I never join their assembly.For they kill men in their anger,and hamstring oxen on a whim.

7Cursed be their anger, for it is strong,and their wrath, for it is cruel!I will disperse them in Jacoband scatter them in Israel.

8Judah,your brothers shall praise you.Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

9Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey.Like a lion he crouches and lies down;like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

10The scepter will not depart from Judah,nor the staff from between his feet,until Shilohcomesand the allegiance of the nations is his.

11He ties his donkey to the vine,his colt to the choicest branch.He washes his garments in wine,his robes in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes are darker than wine,and his teeth are whiter than milk.

13Zebulun shall dwell by the seashoreand become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.

14Issachar is a strong donkey,lying down between the sheepfolds.

15He saw that his resting place was goodand that his land was pleasant,so he bent his shoulder to the burdenand submitted to labor as a servant.

16Dan shall provide justice for his peopleas one of the tribes of Israel.

17He will be a snake by the road,a viper in the paththat bites the horse’s heelsso that its rider tumbles backward.

18I await Your salvation, O LORD.

19Gadwill be attacked by raiders,but he will attack their heels.

20Asher’s food will be rich;he shall provide royal delicacies.

21Naphtali is a doe set freethat bears beautiful fawns.

22Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.

23The archers attacked him with bitterness;they aimed at him in hostility.

24Yet he steadied his bow,and his strong arms were temperedby the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25by the God of your father who helps you,and by the Almightywho blesses you,with blessings of the heavens above,with blessings of the depths below, with blessings of the breasts and womb.

26The blessings of your father have surpassedthe blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills.May they rest on the head of Joseph,on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

27Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

The Death of Jacob

29Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

30The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

31There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.

32The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

33When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.