1 T hen Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together so that I may tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.

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 G ather together and hear, O sons of Jacob. Listen to your father Israel.

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

3 “ Reuben, you are my first-born, my power and the beginning of my strength, first in pride and first in 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 ut because you are as wild as water, the first place will not be yours. It is because you went to your father’s bed and made it unclean.

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 “ Simeon and Levi are brothers. They hurt others with their swords.

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

6 M ay my soul not have a part in their secrets, nor my shining-greatness be joined to them. Because in their anger they killed men and for no reason they hurt cattle.

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 T heir anger will be punished, for it is bad. Their bad temper will be punished, for it is bad. I will divide them in Jacob and spread them apart 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 “ Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of those who hate you. Your father’s sons will bow down to you.

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 young lion. Like a lion full of meat, you have become great, my son. He lies down and sleeps like a lion. And as a lion, who is willing to wake him?

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 right of a ruler will not leave Judah. The ruler’s special stick will not go from between his feet, until Shiloh comes. Then the people will obey Him.

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 H e ties his young donkey to the vine, his donkey’s young one to the best vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his coats 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 are darker than wine. And his teeth are whiter than milk.

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

13 “ Zebulun will live beside the sea and be a safe place for ships. His land will lie beside 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 “ Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the loads.

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

15 H e saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasing. So he made his shoulder ready to carry loads. He let himself be a servant.

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 “ Dan will judge his people, as one of the families of Israel.

Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 D an will be a snake in the way, a snake in the road, that bites the horse’s heels so that the man falls off.

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 wait for Your saving power, O Lord.

I wait for Your salvation, O Lord.

19 “ A group of soldiers will go against Gad. But he will go against them at their heels.

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

20 “ Asher’s food will be rich. He will give pleasing food to kings.

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

21 “ Naphtali is a female deer let loose who gives beautiful young ones.

Naphtali is a hind let loose which yields lovely fawns.

22 “ Joseph is a branch with much fruit, a branch with much fruit by a well. It grows 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 men fought against him with their bows. They sent arrows toward him and made it hard for him.

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

24 B ut his bow did not shake. His arms were made strong by the hands of the Powerful One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock 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 b y the God of your father Who helps you, and by the All-powerful Who brings good to you. He brings good from heaven above, and from the deep that lies below, and from the body of a mother.

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 M ore good has come to your father than to my fathers before me, as lasting as the hills that last forever. May this good be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of him who was divided from his brothers.

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 “ Benjamin is a hungry wolf. In the morning he eats the animals he has caught. And in the evening he divides what he has taken.”

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

28 A ll these are the twelve family groups of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he prayed that good would come to them. He prayed for each of them to receive the good they should have. The Death of Jacob

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 T hen he told them, “I will soon be with my people who have died before me. Bury me with my fathers in the grave 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 grave that is in the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought this grave and the field from Ephron the Hittite for 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 his wife Sarah. There they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah. 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 grave that is in it were bought from the sons of Heth.”

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

33 W hen Jacob finished telling his sons what to do, he lay back down on his bed and died.

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.