Genesis 49
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1Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.1Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
2"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.2“Come and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.
3"Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first in rank and first in power.
4Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.4But you are as unruly as a flood, and you will be first no longer. For you went to bed with my wife; you defiled my marriage couch.
5"Simeon and Levi are brothers-- their swords are weapons of violence.5“Simeon and Levi are two of a kind; their weapons are instruments of violence.
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.6May I never join in their meetings; may I never be a party to their plans. For in their anger they murdered men, and they crippled oxen just for sport.
7Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.7A curse on their anger, for it is fierce; a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob; I will disperse them throughout 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 to you.8“Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you.
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?9Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its 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 ruler's staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.
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.11He ties his foal to a grapevine, the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
12His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.12His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.
13"Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.13“Zebulun will settle by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships; his borders will extend to Sidon.
14"Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down among the sheep pens.14“Issachar is a sturdy donkey, resting between two saddlepacks.
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.15When he sees how good the countryside is and how pleasant the land, he will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labor.
16"Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.16“Dan will govern his people, like any other tribe in Israel.
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.17Dan will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper along the path that bites the horse’s hooves so its rider is thrown off.
18"I look for your deliverance, LORD.18I trust in you for salvation, O LORD!
19"Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.19“Gad will be attacked by marauding bands, but he will attack them when they retreat.
20"Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.20“Asher will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings.
21"Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.21“Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
22"Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.22“Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey, the foal of a wild donkey at a spring— one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.
23With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.23Archers attacked him savagely; they shot at him and harassed him.
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,24But his bow remained taut, and his arms were strengthened by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
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.25May the God of your father help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, and blessings of the watery depths below, and blessings of the breasts and womb.
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.26May my fatherly blessings on you surpass the blessings of my ancestors, reaching to the heights of the eternal hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, who is a prince among his brothers.
27"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder."27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, devouring his enemies in the morning and dividing his plunder in the evening.”
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.28These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message. Jacob’s Death and Burial
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,29Then Jacob instructed them, “Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
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.30This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site.
31There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.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 in it were bought from the Hittites."32It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites.”
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.33When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death.
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Genesis 48
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