1 J acob 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.

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, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.

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

3 “ Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling 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 oiling 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.

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. Their swords are weapons of violence.

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

6 M y 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.

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 “ 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.

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 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?

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 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.

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 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.

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 will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.

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

13 “ Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on 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 saddlebags.

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

15 H e 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.

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 tribes of Israel.

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

17 D an will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls 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 your salvation, Yahweh.

I wait for Your salvation, O Lord.

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

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 produce royal dainties.

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

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

Naphtali is a hind let loose which yields lovely fawns.

22 “ Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. 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 severely grieved him, 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 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),

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 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.

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 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.

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 ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”

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 what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing.

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 H e 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,

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 as a burial 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 W hen Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to 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.