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Genesis 49
Amplified Bible

Israel’s Prophecy concerning His Sons

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves [around me] that I may tell you what will happen to you and your descendants [a]in the days to come.

2 
“Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob;
And listen to Israel (Jacob) your father.

3 
“Reuben, you are my [b]firstborn;
My might, the beginning of my strength and vigor,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power [that should have been your birthright].
4 
“But unstable and reckless and boiling over like water [in sinful lust], you shall [c]not excel or have the preeminence [of the firstborn],
Because you went up to your father’s bed [with Bilhah];
You defiled it—he went up to my couch.(A)

5 
“Simeon and Levi are brothers [equally headstrong, deceitful, vindictive, and cruel];
Their swords are weapons of violence and revenge.(B)
6 
“O my soul, do not come into their secret council;
Let not my glory (honor) be united with their assembly [for I knew nothing of their plot];
Because in their anger they killed men [an honored man, Shechem, and the Shechemites],
And in their self-will they lamed oxen.
7 
“Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;
And their wrath, for it was cruel.
I will divide and disperse them in Jacob,
And [d]scatter them in [the midst of the land of] Israel.

8 
“Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise;
Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
9 
“Judah, a lion’s cub;
With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain].
He stooped down, he crouched like a lion,
And like a lion—who dares rouse him?(C)
10 
“The scepter [of royalty] shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes,
And to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.(D)
11 
“Tying [e]his foal to the [strong] vine
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
He washes his clothing in wine [because the grapevine produces abundantly],
And his robes in the blood of grapes.(E)
12 
“His eyes are darker and sparkle more than wine,
And his teeth whiter than milk.

13 
“Zebulun shall dwell at the seashore;
And he shall be a haven (landing place) for ships,
And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14 
“Issachar is [like] a strong-boned donkey,
Crouching down between the sheepfolds.
15 
“When he saw that the resting place was good
And that the land was pleasant,
He bowed his shoulder to bear [burdens],
And became a servant at forced labor.

16 
“Dan shall judge his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 
“Dan shall be a [venomous] serpent in the way,
A fanged snake in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
So that his rider falls backward.
18 
“I wait for Your salvation, O Lord.

19 
“As for [f]Gad—a raiding troop shall raid him,
But he shall raid at their heels and assault them [victoriously].

20 
“Asher’s food [supply] shall be rich and bountiful,
And he shall yield and deliver royal delights.

21 
“Naphtali is a doe let loose, [a swift warrior,]
Which yields branched antlers (eloquent words).

22 
“Joseph is a fruitful bough (a main branch of the vine),
A fruitful bough by a spring (a well, a fountain);
Its branches run over the wall [influencing others].
23 
“The [skilled] archers have bitterly attacked and provoked him;
They have shot [at him] and harassed him.
24 
“But his bow remained firm and steady [in the Strength that does not fail],
For his arms were made strong and agile
By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
(By the name of the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),(F)
25 
By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the [g]Almighty who blesses you
With blessings of the heavens above,
Blessings lying in the deep that couches beneath,
Blessings of the [nursing] breasts and of the [fertile] womb.
26 
“The blessings of your father
Are greater than the blessings of my ancestors [Abraham and Isaac]
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills;
They shall be on the head of Joseph,
Even on the crown of the head of him who was the distinguished one and the one who is prince among (separate from) his brothers.

27 
“Benjamin is a [h]ravenous wolf;
In the morning he devours the prey,
And at night he divides the spoil.”

28 All these are the [beginnings of 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 appropriate to him. 29 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 in the cave in the field at Machpelah, east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, that Abraham bought, along with the field from Ephron the Hittite, to possess as a burial site.(G) 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it was purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 When Jacob (Israel) had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was [i]gathered to his people [who had preceded him in death].

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 49:1 See Deut 33, where Moses blesses the same tribes in a similar prophetic way.
  2. Genesis 49:3 Reuben was the eldest of Jacob’s twelve sons and therefore entitled to the birthright, which would make him successor to his father as head of the family or tribe, and inheritor of a double portion of his father’s estate. But Reuben forfeited all this by his conduct with Bilhah, his father’s concubine (35:22). By adopting Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and giving each of them a portion of the inheritance, Jacob virtually gave Joseph the extra portion of the land that would have gone to Reuben. Judah became the tribal leader in Reuben’s place (49:8-10).
  3. Genesis 49:4 The fertile land once occupied by the tribe of Reuben was deserted by its settled inhabitants and given over to the tribal nomads of the desert. Because of his behavior, Reuben had forfeited his rights as the firstborn even before Jacob’s prophecy.
  4. Genesis 49:7 This prophecy was fulfilled when the tribe of Levi received no inheritance except forty-eight towns scattered throughout different parts of Canaan. The tribe of Simeon was originally given only a few towns and villages in the midst of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah (Josh 19:1).
  5. Genesis 49:11 I.e. the tribe of Judah.
  6. Genesis 49:19 The Hebrew word from which the name “Gad” is derived has two meanings. In this verse the Hebrew meaning is associated with a “raiding troop” but in 30:11 it is associated with “good fortune.”
  7. Genesis 49:25 Heb Shaddai.
  8. Genesis 49:27 The tribe of Benjamin invariably displayed courage and ferocity, particularly in their war with the other tribes. The tribe of Benjamin was absorbed by the tribe of Judah and is not mentioned after the return from the Babylonian captivity, except in connection with its former land or as the source of some individual person. Ehud, Saul, Jonathan, and the apostle Paul were Benjamites.
  9. Genesis 49:33 See note 25:8.
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Genesis 49
New King James Version

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons

49 And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may (A)tell you what shall befall you (B)in the last days:

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

3 “Reuben, you are (C)my firstborn,
My might and the beginning of my strength,
The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel,
Because you (D)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 [a]cruelty are in their dwelling place.
6 (E)Let not my soul enter their council;
Let not my honor be united (F)to their assembly;
(G)For in their anger they slew a man,
And in their self-will they [b]hamstrung an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel!
(H)I will divide them in Jacob
And scatter them in Israel.

8 “Judah,(I) you are he whom your brothers shall praise;
(J)Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
(K)Your father’s children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is (L)a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
(M)He [c]bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 (N)The [d]scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor (O)a lawgiver from between his feet,
(P)Until Shiloh comes;
(Q)And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
11 Binding 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.
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
And his teeth whiter than milk.

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

14 “Issachar(T) is a strong donkey,
Lying down between two burdens;
15 He saw that rest was good,
And that the land was pleasant;
He bowed (U)his shoulder to bear a burden,
And became a band of slaves.

16 “Dan(V) shall judge his people
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 (W)Dan 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.
18 (X)I have waited for your salvation, O Lord!

19 “Gad,(Y)[e] a troop shall [f]tramp upon him,
But he shall triumph at last.

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

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

22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have (AB)bitterly grieved him,
Shot at him and hated him.
24 But his (AC)bow remained in strength,
And the arms of his hands were [g]made strong
By the hands of (AD)the Mighty God of Jacob
(AE)(From there (AF)is the Shepherd, (AG)the Stone of Israel),
25 (AH)By the God of your father who will help you,
(AI)And by the Almighty (AJ)who will bless you
With 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 excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
(AK)Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
(AL)They shall be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is a (AM)ravenous wolf;
In the morning he shall devour the prey,
(AN)And at night he shall divide the spoil.”

28 All 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

29 Then he charged them and said to them: “I (AO)am to be gathered to my people; (AP)bury me with my fathers (AQ)in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, (AR)which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. 31 (AS)There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, (AT)there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 And 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.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 49:5 violence
  2. Genesis 49:6 lamed
  3. Genesis 49:9 couches
  4. Genesis 49:10 A symbol of kingship
  5. Genesis 49:19 Lit. Troop
  6. Genesis 49:19 Lit. raid
  7. Genesis 49:24 Or supple
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Génesis 49
La Biblia de las Américas

Profecía de Israel acerca de sus hijos

49 Entonces Jacob llamó a sus hijos, y dijo: Reuníos para que os haga saber lo que os ha de acontecer en los días venideros[a](A).

2 Juntaos y oíd, hijos de Jacob,
y escuchad a Israel vuestro padre(B).

3 Rubén, tú eres mi primogénito,
mi poderío y el principio de mi vigor(C),
prominente en dignidad y prominente en poder.
4 Incontrolable[b] como el agua, no tendrás preeminencia,
porque subiste a la cama de tu padre,
y la profanaste: él subió a mi lecho(D).

5 Simeón y Leví son hermanos;
sus armas instrumentos de violencia(E).
6 En su consejo no entre mi alma(F),
a su asamblea no se una mi gloria,
porque en su ira mataron hombres[c],
y en su obstinación desjarretaron bueyes[d].
7 Maldita su ira porque es feroz;
y su furor porque es cruel.
Los dividiré en Jacob,
y los dispersaré en Israel(G).

8 A ti Judá, te alabarán tus hermanos;
tu mano en la cerviz de tus enemigos;
se inclinarán a ti los hijos de tu padre(H).
9 Cachorro de león es Judá(I);
de la presa, hijo mío, has subido.
Se agazapa, se echa como león,
o como leona, ¿quién lo despertará(J)?
10 El cetro no se apartará de Judá(K),
ni la vara de gobernante de entre sus pies,
hasta que venga Siloh[e],
y a él sea dada la obediencia de los pueblos(L).
11 Él ata[f] a la vid su pollino,
y a la mejor cepa el hijo de su asna(M);
él lava en vino sus vestiduras,
y en la sangre de las uvas su manto(N).
12 Sus ojos están apagados por[g] el vino,
y sus dientes blancos por[h] la leche.

13 Zabulón habitará a la orilla del mar(O);
y él será puerto para[i] naves,
y su límite será hasta[j] Sidón.

14 Isacar es un asno fuerte[k],
echado entre los apriscos[l](P).
15 Al ver que el lugar de reposo era bueno
y que la tierra era agradable,
inclinó su hombro para cargar,
y llegó a ser esclavo en trabajos forzados.

16 Dan(Q) juzgará a su pueblo(R),
como una de las tribus de Israel.
17 Sea Dan serpiente junto al camino,
víbora junto al sendero,
que muerde los jarretes[m] del caballo,
y cae su jinete hacia atrás.
18 ¡Tu salvación espero, oh Señor(S)!

19 A Gad salteadores[n] lo asaltarán,
mas él asaltará su retaguardia[o](T).

20 En cuanto a[p] Aser(U), su alimento[q] será sustancioso[r],
y él dará manjares de rey(V).

21 Neftalí(W) es una cierva en libertad,
que pronuncia[s] palabras hermosas.

22 Rama fecunda[t] es José(X),
rama fecunda[u] junto a un manantial;
sus vástagos[v] se extienden sobre el muro.
23 Los arqueros lo atacaron con furor,
lo asaetearon y lo hostigaron;
24 pero su arco permaneció firme(Y)
y sus brazos[w] fueron ágiles(Z)
por las manos del Poderoso de Jacob(AA)
(de allí es el Pastor(AB), la Roca de Israel(AC)),
25 por el Dios de tu padre que te ayuda(AD),
y por el Todopoderoso[x] que te bendice(AE)
con bendiciones de los cielos de arriba,
bendiciones del abismo que está abajo(AF),
bendiciones de los pechos y del seno materno.
26 Las bendiciones de tu padre
han sobrepasado las bendiciones de mis antepasados
hasta el límite de los collados eternos;
sean ellas sobre la cabeza de José,
y sobre la cabeza[y] del consagrado[z] de entre tus hermanos(AG).

27 Benjamín es lobo rapaz[aa];
de mañana devora la presa,
y a la tarde reparte los despojos.

Muerte de Jacob

28 Todas estas son las doce tribus de Israel, y esto es lo que les dijo su padre cuando[ab] los bendijo. A cada uno lo bendijo con la bendición que le correspondía[ac]. 29 Después les ordenó y les dijo: Voy a ser reunido a mi pueblo[ad](AH); sepultadme con mis padres(AI) en la cueva que está en el campo de Efrón hitita(AJ), 30 en la cueva que está en el campo de Macpela, que está frente a Mamre, en la tierra de Canaán, la cual Abraham compró juntamente con el campo de Efrón hitita, para posesión de una sepultura(AK). 31 Allí sepultaron a Abraham(AL) y a su mujer Sara(AM); allí sepultaron a Isaac(AN) y a su mujer Rebeca, y allí sepulté yo a Lea. 32 El campo y la cueva que hay en él, fueron comprados de los hijos de Het. 33 Cuando Jacob terminó de encargar estas cosas a sus hijos, recogió sus pies en la cama y expiró(AO), y fue reunido a su pueblo[ae](AP).

Footnotes

  1. Génesis 49:1 Lit., al final de los días
  2. Génesis 49:4 Lit., Desenfrenado
  3. Génesis 49:6 Lit., un hombre
  4. Génesis 49:6 Lit., un buey
  5. Génesis 49:10 O, hasta que él venga a Siloh, o, hasta que él venga a quien pertenezca
  6. Génesis 49:11 Lit., Atando
  7. Génesis 49:12 O, más oscuros que
  8. Génesis 49:12 O, más blancos que
  9. Génesis 49:13 Lit., ribera de
  10. Génesis 49:13 Lit., y su costado hacia
  11. Génesis 49:14 Lit., un asno de hueso
  12. Génesis 49:14 O, las alforjas
  13. Génesis 49:17 Lit., talones
  14. Génesis 49:19 Lit., una banda de salteadores
  15. Génesis 49:19 Lit., talón
  16. Génesis 49:20 Lit., De
  17. Génesis 49:20 O, pan
  18. Génesis 49:20 Lit., grasoso
  19. Génesis 49:21 Lit., da
  20. Génesis 49:22 Lit., Hijo fecundo
  21. Génesis 49:22 Lit., Hijo fecundo
  22. Génesis 49:22 Lit., hijas
  23. Génesis 49:24 Lit., los brazos de sus manos
  24. Génesis 49:25 Heb., Shaddai
  25. Génesis 49:26 O, coronilla
  26. Génesis 49:26 O, distinguido
  27. Génesis 49:27 Lit., que despedaza
  28. Génesis 49:28 Lit., y
  29. Génesis 49:28 Lit., conforme a su bendición
  30. Génesis 49:29 Lit., mis parientes
  31. Génesis 49:33 Lit., sus parientes
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Genesis 49
New International Version

Jacob Blesses His Sons(A)

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.(B)

2 “Assemble(C) and listen, sons of Jacob;
    listen to your father Israel.(D)

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,(E)
    my might, the first sign of my strength,(F)
    excelling in honor,(G) excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters,(H) you will no longer excel,
    for you went up onto your father’s bed,
    onto my couch and defiled it.(I)

5 “Simeon(J) and Levi(K) are brothers—
    their swords[a] are weapons of violence.(L)
6 Let me not enter their council,
    let me not join their assembly,(M)
for they have killed men in their anger(N)
    and hamstrung(O) oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
    and their fury,(P) so cruel!(Q)
I will scatter them in Jacob
    and disperse them in Israel.(R)

8 “Judah,[b](S) your brothers will praise you;
    your hand will be on the neck(T) of your enemies;
    your father’s sons will bow down to you.(U)
9 You are a lion’s(V) cub,(W) Judah;(X)
    you return from the prey,(Y) my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
    like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,(Z)
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[c]
until he to whom it belongs[d] shall come(AA)
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his.(AB)
11 He will tether his donkey(AC) to a vine,
    his colt to the choicest branch;(AD)
he will wash his garments in wine,
    his robes in the blood of grapes.(AE)
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
    his teeth whiter than milk.[e](AF)

13 “Zebulun(AG) will live by the seashore
    and become a haven for ships;
    his border will extend toward Sidon.(AH)

14 “Issachar(AI) is a rawboned[f] donkey
    lying down among the sheep pens.[g](AJ)
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
    and how pleasant is his land,(AK)
he will bend his shoulder to the burden(AL)
    and submit to forced labor.(AM)

16 “Dan[h](AN) will provide justice for his people
    as one of the tribes of Israel.(AO)
17 Dan(AP) will be a snake by the roadside,
    a viper along the path,(AQ)
that bites the horse’s heels(AR)
    so that its rider tumbles backward.

18 “I look for your deliverance,(AS) Lord.(AT)

19 “Gad[i](AU) will be attacked by a band of raiders,
    but he will attack them at their heels.(AV)

20 “Asher’s(AW) food will be rich;(AX)
    he will provide delicacies fit for a king.(AY)

21 “Naphtali(AZ) is a doe set free
    that bears beautiful fawns.[j](BA)

22 “Joseph(BB) is a fruitful vine,(BC)
    a fruitful vine near a spring,
    whose branches(BD) climb over a wall.[k]
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;(BE)
    they shot at him with hostility.(BF)
24 But his bow remained steady,(BG)
    his strong arms(BH) stayed[l] limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,(BI)
    because of the Shepherd,(BJ) the Rock of Israel,(BK)
25 because of your father’s God,(BL) who helps(BM) you,
    because of the Almighty,[m](BN) who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
    blessings of the deep springs below,(BO)
    blessings of the breast(BP) and womb.(BQ)
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
    than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
    than[n] the bounty of the age-old hills.(BR)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,(BS)
    on the brow of the prince among[o] his brothers.(BT)

27 “Benjamin(BU) is a ravenous wolf;(BV)
    in the morning he devours the prey,(BW)
    in the evening he divides the plunder.”(BX)

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,(BY) and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing(BZ) appropriate to him.

The Death of Jacob

29 Then he gave them these instructions:(CA) “I am about to be gathered to my people.(CB) Bury me with my fathers(CC) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,(CD) 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah,(CE) near Mamre(CF) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field(CG) as a burial place(CH) from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There Abraham(CI) and his wife Sarah(CJ) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah(CK) were buried, and there I buried Leah.(CL) 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.[p](CM)”

33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.(CN)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
  3. Genesis 49:10 Or from his descendants
  4. Genesis 49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  5. Genesis 49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk
  6. Genesis 49:14 Or strong
  7. Genesis 49:14 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
  8. Genesis 49:16 Dan here means he provides justice.
  9. Genesis 49:19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders.
  10. Genesis 49:21 Or free; / he utters beautiful words
  11. Genesis 49:22 Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill
  12. Genesis 49:24 Or archers will attack … will shoot … will remain … will stay
  13. Genesis 49:25 Hebrew Shaddai
  14. Genesis 49:26 Or of my progenitors, / as great as
  15. Genesis 49:26 Or of the one separated from
  16. Genesis 49:32 Or the descendants of Heth
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