Genesis 49
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
49 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather around, that I may tell you what will happen to you in days to come.(A)
2 Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel your father.
3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might and the first fruits of my vigor,
excelling in rank and excelling in power.(B)
4 Unstable as water, you shall no longer excel
because you went up onto your father’s bed;
then you defiled it—you[a] went up onto my couch!(C)
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers;
weapons of violence are their swords.(D)
6 May I never come into their council;
may I not be joined to their company,
for in their anger they killed men,
and at their whim they hamstrung oxen.(E)
7 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.(F)
8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons shall bow down before you.(G)
9 Judah is a lion’s whelp;
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He crouches down, he stretches out like a lion,
like a lioness—who dares rouse him up?(H)
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him,[b]
and the obedience of the peoples is his.(I)
11 Binding his foal to the vine
and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
he washes his garments in wine
and his robe in the blood of grapes;
12 his eyes are darker than wine
and his teeth whiter than milk.
13 Zebulun shall settle at the shore of the sea;
he shall be a haven for ships,
and his border shall be at Sidon.(J)
14 Issachar is a strong donkey,
lying down between the sheepfolds;
15 he saw that a resting place was good
and that the land was pleasant,
so he bowed his shoulder to the burden
and became a slave at forced labor.
16 Dan shall judge his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.(K)
17 Dan shall be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider falls backward.(L)
18 I wait for your salvation, O Lord.(M)
19 Gad shall be raided by raiders,
but he shall raid at their heels.(N)
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough,[e]
a fruitful bough by a spring;
his branches run over the wall.[f](Q)
23 The archers fiercely attacked him;
they shot at him and pressed him hard.(R)
24 Yet his bow remained taut,
and his arms[g] were made agile
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,(S)
25 by the God of your father, who will help you,
by the Almighty[h] who will bless you
with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
blessings of the breasts and of the womb.(T)
26 The blessings of your father
are stronger than the blessings of the eternal mountains,
the bounties[i] of the everlasting hills;
may they be on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.(U)
27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
in the morning devouring the prey
and at evening dividing the spoil.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, blessing each one of them with a suitable blessing.(V)
Jacob’s Death and Burial
29 Then he charged them, saying to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,(W) 30 in the cave in the field at Machpelah, near Mamre, in the land of Canaan, in the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.(X) 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried; there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried; and there I buried Leah.(Y) 32 The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob ended his charge to his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.(Z)
Footnotes
- 49.4 Gk Syr Tg: Heb he
- 49.10 Or until Shiloh comes or until he comes to Shiloh or (with Syr) until he comes to whom it belongs
- 49.20 Gk Vg Syr: Heb From Asher
- 49.21 Or that gives beautiful words
- 49.22 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 49.22 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 49.24 Heb the arms of his hands
- 49.25 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
- 49.26 Cn Compare Gk: Heb of my progenitors to the boundaries
Genesis 49
New American Standard Bible
Jacob’s Prophecy concerning His Sons
49 Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves, so that I may tell you what will happen to you (A)in the [a]days to come.
2 Gather together and listen, sons of Jacob;
Yes, (B)listen to Israel your father.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
My might and (C)the beginning of my strength,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
4 [b]Uncontrollable as water, you shall not have preeminence,
(D)Because you went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.
5 “(E)Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Their [c]swords are implements of violence.
6 (F)May my soul not enter into their council;
May my glory not be united with their assembly;
For in their anger they killed [d]men,
And in their self-will they lamed [e]oxen.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel.
(G)I will scatter them in Jacob,
And disperse them among Israel.
8 “As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
(H)Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
9 Judah is a (I)lion’s cub;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
(J)He [f]crouches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a [g]lion, who [h]dares to stir him up?
10 (K)The scepter will not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
[i]Until Shiloh comes,
And (L)to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
11 (M)He ties his foal to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;
(N)He washes his garments in wine,
And his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are [j]dull from wine,
And his teeth [k]white from milk.
13 “(O)Zebulun will reside at the seashore;
And he shall be [l]a harbor for ships,
And his flank shall be toward Sidon.
14 “Issachar is a [m]strong donkey,
(P)Lying down between the sheepfolds.
15 When he saw that a resting place was good
And that the land was pleasant,
He bowed his shoulder to carry burdens,
And became a slave at forced labor.
16 “(Q)Dan shall (R)judge his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
A horned viper in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
So that its rider falls backward.
18 (S)For Your salvation I wait, Lord.
21 “(W)Naphtali is a doe let loose;
He utters beautiful words.
22 “(X)Joseph is a fruitful [r]branch,
A fruitful [s]branch by a spring;
Its [t]branches hang over a wall.
23 The archers provoked him,
And shot at him and were hostile toward him;
24 But his (Y)bow remained [u]firm,
And [v](Z)his arms were agile,
From the hands of the (AA)Mighty One of Jacob
(From there is (AB)the Shepherd, (AC)the Stone of Israel),
25 From (AD)the God of your father who helps you,
And [w](AE)by the [x]Almighty who blesses you
With (AF)blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father
Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors
Up to the [y]furthest boundary of (AG)the everlasting hills;
May they be on the head of Joseph,
And on the top of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is a [z]ravenous wolf;
In the morning he devours the prey,
And in the evening he divides the spoils.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them [aa]when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one [ab]with the blessing appropriate to him.
Jacob Dies
29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am about to be (AH)gathered to my people; (AI)bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in (AJ)the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the (AK)cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a [ac]burial site. 31 There they buried (AL)Abraham and his wife (AM)Sarah, there they buried (AN)Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and (AO)breathed his last, and was (AP)gathered to his people.
Footnotes
- Genesis 49:1 Lit end of the days
- Genesis 49:4 Or Gushing over
- Genesis 49:5 Or plans; meaning uncertain
- Genesis 49:6 Lit a man
- Genesis 49:6 Lit an ox
- Genesis 49:9 Lit bows down
- Genesis 49:9 Lit lioness
- Genesis 49:9 Lit shall
- Genesis 49:10 Or Until he comes to Shiloh; or Until he comes to whom it belongs
- Genesis 49:12 Or darker than
- Genesis 49:12 Or whiter than
- Genesis 49:13 Lit a shore of ships
- Genesis 49:14 Lit donkey of bone
- Genesis 49:19 Lit heel
- Genesis 49:20 Lit From
- Genesis 49:20 Or bread
- Genesis 49:20 Lit fat
- Genesis 49:22 Lit son
- Genesis 49:22 Lit son
- Genesis 49:22 Lit daughters
- Genesis 49:24 I.e., in an unyielding position
- Genesis 49:24 Lit the arms of his hands
- Genesis 49:25 Or with
- Genesis 49:25 Heb Shaddai
- Genesis 49:26 Lit limit; or desire
- Genesis 49:27 Lit a wolf that tears
- Genesis 49:28 Lit and
- Genesis 49:28 Lit according to his blessing
- Genesis 49:30 Lit possession of a burial place
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