1 A nd Jacob called unto his sons, and said: gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the latter days.

And 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.

2 A ssemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; And hearken unto Israel your father.

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

3 R euben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength; The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.

Reuben, 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.

4 B oiling over as water, thou shalt not have the pre-eminence; Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; Then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

But 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!

5 S imeon and Levi are brethren; Weapons of violence are their swords.

Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.

6 O my soul, come not thou into their council; Unto their assembly, my glory, be not thou united; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hocked an ox.

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.

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, thee shall thy brethren praise: Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; Thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.

Judah, 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.

9 J udah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?

Judah, 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?

10 T he sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh come: And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

The 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.

11 B inding his foal unto the vine, And his ass's colt unto the choice vine; He hath washed his garments in wine, And his vesture in the blood of grapes:

Binding 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.

12 H is eyes shall be red with wine, And his teeth white with milk.

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

13 Z ebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; And he shall be for a haven of ships; And his border shall be upon Sidon.

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

14 I ssachar is a strong ass, Couching down between the sheepfolds:

Issachar is a strong-boned donkey crouching down between the sheepfolds.

15 A nd he saw a resting-place that it was good, And the land that it was pleasant; And he bowed his shoulder to bear, And became a servant under taskwork.

And 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.

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 in the way, An adder in the path, That biteth the horse's heels, So that his rider falleth backward.

Dan 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.

18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Jehovah.

I wait for Your salvation, O Lord.

19 G ad, a troop shall press upon him; But he shall press upon their heel.

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

20 O ut of the Asher his bread shall be fat, And he shall yield royal dainties.

Asher’s food shall be rich and fat, and he shall yield and deliver royal delights.

21 N aphtali is a hind let loose: He giveth goodly words.

Naphtali is a hind let loose which yields lovely fawns.

22 J oseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a fountain; His branches run over the wall.

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

23 T he archers have sorely grieved him, And shot at him, and persecute him:

Skilled archers have bitterly attacked and sorely worried him; they have shot at him and persecuted him.

24 B ut his bow abode in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong, By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),

But 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,

25 E ven by the God of thy father, who shall help thee, And by the Almighty, who shall bless thee, With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that coucheth beneath, Blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.

By 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.

26 T he blessings of thy father Have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

The 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.

27 B enjamin is a wolf that raveneth: In the morning she shall devour the prey, And at even he shall divide the spoil.

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

28 A ll these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

All 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.

29 A nd he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

He 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,

30 i n 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 for a possession of a burying-place.

In 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.

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

The purchase of the field and the cave that is in it was from the sons of Heth.

33 A nd when Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

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