1 A nd Jacob called for his sons and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the latter or last days.

Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.

2 G ather yourselves together and hear, you sons of Jacob; and hearken to Israel your father.

“Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to Israel your father.

3 R euben, you are my firstborn, my might, the beginning (the firstfruits) of my manly strength and vigor; the preeminence in dignity and the preeminence in power.

“Reuben, you are my firstborn; My might and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

4 B ut unstable and boiling over like water, you shall not excel and have the preeminence, because you went to your father’s bed; you defiled it—he went to my couch!

“ Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it —he went up to my couch.

5 S imeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.

“ Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence.

6 O my soul, come not into their secret council; unto their assembly let not my honor be united, because in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they disabled oxen.

“ Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

7 C ursed 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.

“Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.

8 J udah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

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

9 J udah, a lion’s cub! With the prey, my son, you have gone high up. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, and like a lioness—who dares provoke and rouse him?

“Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?

10 T he scepter or leadership shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes to Whom it belongs, and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

“ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

11 B inding His foal to the vine and His donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washes His garments in wine and His clothes in the blood of grapes.

“ He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 H is eyes are darker and more sparkling than wine, and His teeth whiter than milk.

“His eyes are dull from wine, And his teeth white from milk.

13 Z ebulun shall live toward the seashore, and he shall be a haven and a landing place for ships; and his border shall be toward Sidon.

“ Zebulun will dwell at the seashore; And he shall be a haven for ships, And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14 I ssachar is a strong-boned donkey crouching down between the sheepfolds.

“Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between the sheepfolds.

15 A nd he saw that rest was good and that the land was pleasant; and he bowed his shoulder to bear and became a servant to tribute.

“When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, And became a slave at forced labor.

16 D an shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

“ Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

17 D an shall be a serpent by the way, a horned snake in the path, that bites at the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.

“Dan shall be a serpent in the way, A horned snake in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, So that his rider falls backward.

18 I wait for Your salvation, O Lord.

“ For Your salvation I wait, O Lord.

19 G ad—a raiding troop shall raid him, but he shall raid at their heels and assault them.

“ As for Gad, raiders shall raid him, But he will raid at their heels.

20 A sher’s food shall be rich and fat, and he shall yield and deliver royal delights.

“ As for Asher, his food shall be rich, And he will yield royal dainties.

21 N aphtali is a hind let loose which yields lovely fawns.

“ Naphtali is a doe let loose, He gives beautiful words.

22 J oseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well (spring or fountain), whose branches run over the wall.

“ Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall.

23 S killed archers have bitterly attacked and sorely worried him; they have shot at him and persecuted him.

“The archers bitterly attacked him, And shot at him and harassed him;

24 B ut his bow remained strong and steady and rested in the Strength that does not fail him, for the arms of his hands were made strong and active by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

25 B y the God of your father, Who will help you, and by the Almighty, Who will bless you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings lying in the deep beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

From the God of your father who helps you, And by the Almighty who blesses you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26 T he blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of my forefathers and are as lasting as the bounties of the eternal hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was the consecrated one and the one separated from his brethren and is prince among them.

“The blessings of your father Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; May they be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

27 B enjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at night dividing the spoil.

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoil.”

28 A ll these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one according to the blessing suited to him.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him.

29 H e charged 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 charged them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30 I n the cave in the field at Machpelah, east of Mamre in the land of Canaan, that Abraham bought, along with the field of Ephron the Hittite, to possess as a cemetery.

in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site.

31 T here they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.

There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah—

32 T he purchase of the field and the cave that is in it was from the sons of Heth.

the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.”

33 W hen Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

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