1 ¶ And Jacob called unto his sons and said, Gather yourselves together that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:

2 G ather yourselves together and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father.

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

3 R euben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, principal in dignity, and the principal in power.

“Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.

4 U nstable as water, thou shalt not be principal because thou didst go up to thy father’s bed; then thou became defiled, going up to my couch.

Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it — He went up to my couch.

5 ¶ Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of injustice are their weapons.

“Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.

6 L et my soul not enter into their secret; nor let my honour join their assembly; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their own will they dug down a wall.

Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.

7 C ursed be their anger, which is strong, and their wrath, which is hard; 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 divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.

8 ¶ Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s sons shall bow down before thee.

“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before 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 an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

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

10 T he sceptre shall not be taken from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; 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 roots; he washed his garments in wine and his covering in the blood of grapes;

Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.

12 H is eyes red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.

13 ¶ Zebulun shall dwell at the port of the sea; and he shall be for a port of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

“Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.

14 I ssachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens;

“Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens;

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

He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.

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, an adder in the path, that bites the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward.

18 I have waited for thy saving health, O LORD.

I have waited for your salvation, O Lord!

19 G ad, an army shall invade him, but he shall invade at the last.

“Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last.

20 O ut of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield delight unto the king.

“Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.

21 N aphtali is a hind let loose, who shall give forth a good word.

“Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.

22 ¶ Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a fountain, whose daughters run over the wall.

“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.

23 T he arches have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him;

The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated 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 there did the stone of Israel shepherd,

But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

25 b y the God of thy father, who shall help thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of the heavens above, with blessings of the deep that lies under, with 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 heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26 T he blessings of thy father were greater than the blessings of my progenitors; unto the borders of the eternal hills they shall be upon the head of Joseph and on the crown of the Nazarite of his brethren.

The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

27 B enjamin, ravening wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and in the evening he shall divide the spoil.

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.”

28 ¶ All these were the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke unto them and blessed them; each one according to his blessing he blessed them.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing. Jacob’s Death and Burial

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,

Then 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 of Ephron, the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.

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 of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for 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 of the cave that is therein was from the sons of Heth.

The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.”

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

And 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.