Genesis 49

1 Jacob 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.

Jacob called his sons together, and said, “Gather round so I can tell you what's going to happen to you in the future.

2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.

Come here, sons of Jacob, and 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.

Reuben. You are my firstborn, conceived when I was strong, born when I was vigorous! You were above all others is position, above all others in power.

4 Boiling 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.

But you boil over like water, so you won't be above anyone anymore, because you went and slept with my concubine; you violated my marriage bed.

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

Simeon and Levi are two of the same kind—they use their weapons for destructive violence.

6 My soul, do not come into their council. My glory, do not be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.

I refuse to be part of their decisions; I refuse to participate in what they do. For they killed men in their anger; they crippled cattle just for fun.

7 Cursed 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.

I curse their anger because it is too harsh; I curse their fury because it is too cruel! I will separate their descendants throughout Jacob; I will scatter 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 before you.

Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will defeat your enemies. Your father's sons shall bow down to you in respect.

9 Judah 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?

My son Judah is a young lion coming back from eating its prey. He crouches and lies down like a lion. Like a lion, who would dare to disturb him?

10 The 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.

Judah will always hold the scepter, and the staff of authority will always be at his feet until Shiloh comes; the nations will obey him.

11 Binding 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.

He ties his donkey to the vine, his donkey's colt to the best vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the red juice of grapes.

12 His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.

His eyes sparkle more than wine, and his teeth are whiter than 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.

Zebulun will live on the seashore and provide a harbor for ships; his territory will extend towards Sidon.

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

Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between two saddle bags.

15 He 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.

He sees that the place where he's resting is good, and the land is lovely, so he's willing to lower his back to accept the burden and to work as a slave.

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

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

17 Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.

Dan will be as dangerous as a snake beside the road, a viper by the path that bites the horse's heel, throwing its rider off backwards.

18 I have waited for your salvation, LORD.

I trust in you to save me, Lord.

19 “A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.

Raiders will attack Gad, but he will attack their heels.

20 “Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.

Asher will have delicious food—he'll produce fancy food for royalty.

21 “Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.

Naphtali is a deer that's free to run; it gives birth to beautiful fawns.

22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.

Joseph is a fruitful tree, a fruitful tree beside a spring, whose branches climb over the wall.

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

The archers viciously attacked him; they shot their arrows at him with hate.

24 But 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),

But he held his bow steady, and his arms and hands moved quickly in the strength of the Mighty One of Jacob, who is called the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

25 even 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.

The God of your father will help you and the Almighty will bless you with blessings from the heavens above, with blessings from the depths below, with blessings for many children.

26 The 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.

The blessings your father received were greater than the blessings of his forefathers, more than the blessings of the eternal mountains. May they be upon the head of Joseph, on the forehead of the one set apart as a leader from his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”

Benjamin is a vicious wolf. In the morning he destroys his enemies, in the evening he divides the loot.”

28 All 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.

These are all of the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father told them as he blessed them, each according to their respective blessings.

29 He 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,

Then he gave them the following instructions: “I'm going to die soon. Bury me with my forefathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

30 in 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.

This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought together with the field from Ephron the Hittite to own as a burial site.

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

Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there, and I buried Leah there.

32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.”

The field and the cave were bought from the Hittites.”

33 When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.

When Jacob finished giving these instructions he pulled up his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his forefathers in death.