1 A nd Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the 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 “ Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your father.

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

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

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

4 U nstable 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.

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

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

6 L et 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.

“ 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 is fierce; And their wrath, for it is 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 “ 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.

“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 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?

“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 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.

“ 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 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.

“ 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 than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.

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

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

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

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

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

15 H e 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.

“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 “ Dan 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 viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall 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 have waited for your salvation, O Lord!

“ For Your salvation I wait, O Lord.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

23 T he archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him.

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

24 B ut 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),

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 heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies 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 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.

“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 “ Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide 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 spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing. Jacob’s Death and Burial

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 T hen 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,

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 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.

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

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

33 A nd 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.

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