Genesis 49
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1After this, Jacob called his sons together and told them, "Assemble yourselves around me so I can tell you all what is going to happen to you in the last days. 1Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2"Gather together and listen, you children of Jacob. Listen to your father Israel."2"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.
3"Reuben, you're my firstborn, my strength, and the first fruit of my vitality. You excel in rank and excel in power.3"Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4But you're as undisciplined as a roaring river, so eventually you won't succeed, because you got in your father's bed, defiled it, and then approached my couch."4Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.
5"Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are violent weapons.5"Simeon and Levi are brothers-- their swords are weapons of violence.
6I'll never join their council; I'll never enter their assembly. In their anger they committed murder and lamed cattle just for fun.6Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7Their anger is cursed, because it is so fierce, as is their vehemence, because it is so cruel. I will separate them throughout Jacob's territory and disperse them throughout Israel."7Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.
8"Your brothers will praise you, Judah. Your hand will be at the throat of your enemies, and your father's children will bow down to you.8"Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you.
9Judah is a lion cub. My son, you have gone up from the prey. Crouching like a lion, he lies down, Like a lioness, who would dare rouse him?9You are a lion's cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness--who dares to rouse him?
10The scepter will never depart from Judah, nor a ruler's staff from between his feet, until the One comes, who owns them both, and to him will belong the allegiance of nations.10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11Binding his donkey to the vine and his mare's foal to its thick tendrils, he will wash his garments in wine and his robe in the juice of grapes.11He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
12His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk."12His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.
13"Zebulun will settle down near the sea shore and become a safe haven for shipping, bordering Sidon."13"Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.
14"Issachar is a strong donkey, resting between sheepfolds.14"Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down among the sheep pens.
15He observed that his resting place was excellent, and that the land was pleasant; he bent down, picked up his burdens, and became a slave at forced labor."15When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.
16"Dan will judge his people as one of Israel's tribes.16"Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
17Dan will be a snake on the path, a viper on the road that snaps at the heels of horses, causing their riders to fall off.17Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward.
18"LORD, I'm waiting for your salvation."18"I look for your deliverance, LORD.
19"Bandits will raid Gad, but Gad will raid them back." 19"Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.
20"Asher's food will be delicious; he will be a provider of delicacies fit for royalty."20"Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.
21"Naphtali is a free running deer who produces eloquent literature."21"Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
22"Joseph is descended from a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine planted near springs of water. His branches climb over walls.22"Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.
23Even though enemies attacked him, shooting at him and pursuing him viciously,23With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.
24nevertheless his bow remained steady and his arms kept in shape by the strength of Jacob's Mighty One, in the name of the Shepherd, Israel's Rock,24But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25by your father's God who helps you, by the Almighty who will keep on blessing you with blessings from heaven above, with blessings from the deepest ocean, with blessing from the breasts and the womb.25because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb.
26Your father's blessings will prove to be stronger than blessings from the eternal mountains or bounties from the everlasting hills. May they come to rest on Joseph's head, May they be set upon the brow of the one who was separated from his own brothers."26Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
27"Benjamin is vicious like a wolf; what he kills in the morning he devours in the evening."27"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder."
28That's how Israel blessed these twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father told them when he pronounced his blessing for them, blessing each one with a blessing suitable for them. 28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.
29In his last words, Jacob issued this set of instructions to them all: "I'm about to join our ancestors. Bury me alongside my ancestors in the cave in the field that used to belong to Ephron the Hittite. 29Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30It's the cave in the field near Mamre at Machpelah in the land of Canaan that Abraham bought to serve as a cemetery. 30the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.
31It's where Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, where Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and where I buried Leah. 31There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.
32Both the field and the cave that's in it were purchased from the Hittites."32The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites."
33After concluding this set of instructions to his sons, Jacob tucked his feet up into bed, quit breathing, and was gathered to his ancestors.33When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
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Genesis 48
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