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.

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.

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

Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. 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; excelling in dignity, and excelling 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!

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.

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

“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons 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.

My 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.

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 was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide 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 will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before 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 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?

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 will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.

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.

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.

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

His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with 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 haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

18 I wait for Your salvation, O Lord.

I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.

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

The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute 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 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),

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.

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.

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 prevailed above the blessings of your 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 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 will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”

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 spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing.

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,

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,

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 with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.

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 Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, 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 therein, which was purchased from the children 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 gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.