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.

Then 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.

2 A ssemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.

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

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 first-born, my power and the beginning of my strength, first in pride and first 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 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.

5 “ Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.

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

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.

May 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.

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.

Their 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.

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, 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.

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 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?

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 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.

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.

He 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.

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

His eyes are darker than wine. And his teeth are 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 will live beside the sea and be a safe place for ships. His land will lie beside Sidon.

14 “ Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.

“Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the loads.

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.

He 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.

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

“Dan will judge his people, as one of the families 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 will be a snake in the way, a snake in the road, that bites the horse’s heels so that the man falls off.

18 I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.

I wait for Your saving power, O Lord.

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

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

20 “ Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.

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

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

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

22 “ Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.

“Joseph is a branch with much fruit, a branch with much fruit by a well. It grows over the wall.

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

The men fought against him with their bows. They sent arrows toward him and made it hard for 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 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,

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 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.

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.

More 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.

27 “ Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”

“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.”

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 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

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,

Then 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,

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 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.

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 therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.”

The field and the grave that is in it were bought 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 finished telling his sons what to do, he lay back down on his bed and died.