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Genesis 49
Expanded Bible
Genesis 49
Expanded Bible
Jacob Blesses His Sons
49 Then Jacob called his sons to him. He said, “·Come here to [L Gather around] me, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the ·future [L days to come].
2 “·Come [L Assemble] together and listen, sons of Jacob.
Listen to Israel [C another name for Jacob; 32:28], your father.”
3 “Reuben, my ·first son [firstborn], you are my strength.
·Your birth showed I could be a father [L …and the first of my virility/vigor].
·You have the highest position among my sons [L …excelling in pride/rank/authority],
and you are the most powerful [L …excelling in power].
4 But you are ·uncontrolled [unstable] like water [C often a symbol of chaos or evil],
so you will no longer ·lead your brothers [L excel].
This is because you got into your father’s bed
and ·shamed me by having sexual relations with my slave girl [L you defiled it by going up on my couch; 35:22].
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers
who used their ·swords [or circumcision knives; or counsels; or treaties; ch. 34] to do violence.
6 I will not join their secret talks,
and I will not ·meet with them to plan evil [L join them in their assembly].
They killed men because they were angry,
and they ·crippled [hamstrung] oxen ·just for fun [or at will; 34:25–31].
7 May their anger be cursed, because it is too ·violent [severe; strong; intense].
May their violence be cursed, because it is too ·cruel [harsh].
I will divide them up among the tribes of Jacob
and scatter them through all the tribes of Israel [C neither Simeon nor Levi received a tribal allotment in the Promised Land; Josh. 13–22].
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you [C the Hebrew verb for “praise” sounds like the name Judah].
·You will grab your enemies by the neck [L Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies],
and ·your brothers [L the sons of your father] will bow down to you.
9 Judah is like a ·young lion [lion cub].
You have ·returned from killing [L come up from the prey], my son.
Like a lion, he stretches out and ·lies down to rest [crouches],
and [L like a lioness] ·no one is brave enough to [who will…?] wake him.
10 ·Kings will come from Judah’s family [L No one will turn aside the scepter from Judah; C a scepter is a symbol of kingship];
·someone from Judah will always be on the throne [L the ruler’s staff/mace from between his feet; C anticipates the rise of a perpetual kingship from the tribe of Judah; 2 Sam. 7].
Judah will rule until ·Shiloh comes [or he comes to Shiloh; or he comes to whom it belongs; or tribute comes to him],
and the ·nations [peoples] will obey him.
11 He ties his donkey to a grapevine,
his young donkey to the best ·branch [vine].
He ·can afford to use wine to wash his clothes [L washes his clothes in wine]
and the ·best wine [L blood of grapes] to wash his robes.
12 His eyes are dark like the color of wine,
and his teeth are as white as the color of milk.
13 “Zebulun will live ·near [L at the shore/coast of] the sea.
His ·shore [coast] will be a safe place for ships,
and his land will reach as far as Sidon [10:15].
14 “Issachar is like a strong donkey
who lies down ·while carrying his load [or between the pack saddles].
15 When he sees his ·resting place [camp] is good
and how pleasant his land is,
he will put his ·back [L shoulder] to the load
and become a slave [L at forced labor].
16 “Dan will ·rule [judge; or contend for; C the Hebrew verb for “judge” sounds like the name Dan] his own people
like ·the other [L one of the] tribes in Israel.
17 Dan will be like a snake by the side of the road,
a ·dangerous snake [viper] lying near the path.
That snake bites a horse’s ·leg [heel; hoof],
and the rider is thrown off backward.
18 “Lord, I wait for your ·salvation [or victory].
19 “·Robbers [or Raiders] will ·attack [raid] Gad [C the Hebrew word for “raiders” sounds like the name Gad],
but he will ·defeat them and drive them away [L raid them at their heels].
20 “Asher’s land will grow much ·good [or rich] food;
he will grow ·food fit for a king [kingly delicacies].
21 “Naphtali is like a female deer that runs free,
that has ·beautiful fawns [or beautiful words].
22 “Joseph is like a ·grapevine that produces much fruit [or fruitful bough/tree; or foal of a wild donkey]
a ·healthy vine [or fruitful bough/tree; or foal of a wild donkey] ·watered by [L by] a spring,
·whose branches grow over the wall [or a wild donkey on a hillside].
23 Archers attack him violently
and shoot at him angrily,
24 but ·he aims his bow well [L his bow remains taut].
His arms ·are made strong [or were snapped].
·He gets his power from [L …by the hands of] the Mighty God of Jacob
·and his strength from [or by the name of] the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
25 Your father’s God helps you.
God Almighty blesses you.
He blesses you with ·rain [L blessings] from above,
with ·water from springs below [L the blessings of the deep that crouches below],
with ·many babies born to your wives
and many young ones born to your animals [L the blessings of breasts and womb]
26 The blessings of your father are greater
than the blessings of the ·oldest [or eternal] mountains,
greater than the ·good things [delight] of the long-lasting hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,
on the forehead of the one who was ·separated from [or prince among] his brothers [C Ephraim would become the dominant tribe in northern Israel].
27 “Benjamin is like a hungry wolf.
In the morning he eats ·what he has caught [prey],
and in the evening he divides ·what he has taken [the plunder].”
28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them. He gave each son the blessing that was ·right [suitable; appropriate] for him. 29 Then Israel gave them a command and said, “I am about to ·die [L be gathered to my people/relatives; 25:8]. Bury me with my ·ancestors [fathers] in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite [23:7–20; 25:9]. 30 That cave is in the field of Machpelah east of Mamre in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought the field and cave from Ephron the Hittite for a ·burying place [burial site]. 31 Abraham and Sarah his wife are buried there. Isaac and Rebekah his wife are buried there, and I buried my wife Leah there. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittite people.” 33 After Jacob finished ·talking to [or instructing] his sons, he lay down. He put his feet back on the bed, took his last breath, and ·died [L was gathered to his people/relatives; 25:8].
Genesis 49
New Catholic Bible
Genesis 49
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 49
Jacob’s Predictions for His Sons.[a] 1 Jacob then summoned his sons and said, “Gather together so that I can tell you what will happen to you in future days.
2 “Gather and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.
3 “Reuben, you are the firstborn,
my strength and the firstfruit of my might,
excelling in dignity and excelling in power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence
because you invaded your father’s bed
and defiled my couch
upon which you climbed.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;
their swords are implements of violence.
6 Let my soul not come into their council
nor my heart into their assembly,
for they have killed men with anger
and they maimed oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,
and their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will divide them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.
8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you.
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies.
The sons of your father shall bow down before you.
9 A young lion is Judah.
From the prey, my son, you have turned.
He crouches like a lion,
and like a lioness;
who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah
nor the mace from between his feet,
until it comes to whom it belongs,
and the obedience of the peoples is his.
11 He tethers his colt to the vine,
and to a choice vine the colt of his donkey.
He washes his garments in wine,
and in the blood of the grapes his clothes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth whiter than milk.
13 “Zebulun shall dwell along the sea,
and he shall be a haven to ships
and shall border upon Sidon.
14 “Issachar is a strong-boned donkey
crouching between two saddlebags.
15 He saw that his resting place was good
and his land was pleasant
so he bent down his shoulder to bear the burden
and became a toiling servant.
16 “Dan shall judge his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be like a serpent by the wayside,
an adder by the path,
that bites the heels of horses
and its horsemen fall backward.
18 “I hope in your salvation, O Lord.
19 “Gad shall be attacked by raiders,
but he shall raid them in return.
20 “Asher’s food is rich,
and he shall provide delicacies for the king.
21 “Naphtali is a doe let loose;
he brings forth beautiful words.
22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches run over the wall.
23 They have grieved him and attacked him,
archers have persecuted him,
24 but his bow is strong,
and the hands of his arms were made strong
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
25 From the God of your father who helps you
and God Almighty
who blesses you with blessings from the heavens above,
blessings of the deep that lie below,
blessings of breasts and womb.
26 The blessings of your father,
are mighty beyond the blessings of the eternal mountains,
the boundaries of the everlasting hills;
may they come upon the head of Joseph
upon the crown of the head of the prince among his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.
In the morning he devours his prey;
in the evening he divides his spoil.”
28 All these make up the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father told them, blessing them. He blessed each one with his own blessing.
29 The Death of Jacob. Then he gave this command: “I am about to be reunited with my ancestors. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is found in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre in the land of Canaan. This is the cave that Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite, as his burial ground. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there they buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave in it used to belong to the Hittites.”
33 When Jacob had finished giving this command to his sons, he drew back his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was reunited with his ancestors.
Footnotes
- Genesis 49:1 A metric composition from the Yahwist source that specifies the characteristics of the various tribes of Israel; in it can be recognized essential parts and subsidiary parts, and there is no reason for denying that the substance of the discourse really goes back to Jacob. The theme of Judah’s preeminence receives an unexpected development. After the beginning of the poem, which confirms the rejection of Reuben and the condemnation of Simeon and Levi for the faults of which we already know, the words concerning Judah, the fourth son, take the form not of a blessing but of a prophetic oracle (vv. 8-12). Judah will enjoy a supremacy over his brothers and also victory over his enemies; he will be strong as a lion that returns from its prey and commands respect from all; he will retain the royal scepter until the moment when he passes it to its true owner, who will be a universal sovereign; this will be followed by a period of great prosperity. This means that Judah’s sovereignty will be vicarious and temporary; but the true owner of the scepter will be from the same tribe because the enthusiastic praise of Judah would be inexplicable if his task were simply to prepare for the reign of a foreigner. The prophecy will be fulfilled in the reign of the House of David, which is to be followed by the Messianic reign that successive Prophets will describe. The prophecies concerning the other sons of Jacob are by their nature subsidiary.
From this point on, two facts are to be noted. The promises that God makes to a single person are no longer of the type “I will make of you a great people,” for in the sons of Jacob this “great people” is already a reality, and the single person is no longer the father of the entire people of God; the blessings promised to the Patriarchs will rather be what the whole community expects. The new promises, on the other hand, look to the interior of the community and announce a particular person who will carry out the functions of a sovereign: he will lead the people to the victory predicted from Genesis 3:15 on, and he will make a reality the universal blessing already announced to the Patriarchs (Gen 12:3; etc.). In the second place, these promises are dissociated from primogeniture: the choice of Judah foreshadows that of David, the last of his brothers (1 Sam 16:1-13).
创世记 49
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
创世记 49
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
雅各的预言
49 雅各把他的儿子们都叫来，对他们说：“你们到我身边来，我要把你们将来的遭遇告诉你们。
2 “雅各的儿子们啊，
你们都来听，
听你们父亲以色列的话。
3 吕便啊，你是我的长子，
是我年轻力壮时生的，
比众弟兄更有尊荣和力量。
4 可是，你必不再居首位，
因为你放纵情欲，
如沸腾不止的水，
你上了你父亲的床，
玷污了我的榻。
5 “西缅和利未串通一气，
依仗刀剑，残暴不仁。
6 我的灵啊，不要与他们同谋。
我的心啊，不要与他们联合。
他们泄愤杀人，
随意砍断牛腿的筋。
7 他们狂暴凶残，该受咒诅！
我要使他们分散在雅各的子孙中，
散居在以色列各地。
8 “犹大啊，你的兄弟们必赞美你，
你必制服你的仇敌，
你父亲的儿子必向你下拜。
9 我儿犹大是头小狮子，
他猎食回来，躺卧如雄狮，
蹲伏如母狮，谁敢惊扰他？
10 王权必不离犹大，
御杖必伴他左右，
直到那位执掌王权的来到，
万民都必归顺他。
11 “他把小驴拴在葡萄树旁，
把驴驹拴在上好的葡萄树旁；
他在葡萄酒中洗衣服，
在葡萄汁中洗外袍。
12 他的眼睛比酒乌润，
牙齿比奶洁白。
13 “西布伦必安居在海滨，
成为泊船的港口，
他的疆界必伸展到西顿。
14 “以萨迦是头壮驴，
卧在羊圈中。
15 他见那地方好作安身之处，
地土肥美，就垂下肩头，
做了奴隶。
16 “但必治理他的人民，
作以色列的一个支派。
17 他必成为路边的蛇，
道旁的毒蛇，
咬伤马蹄，使骑马的人坠落。
18 “耶和华啊，
我切切等候你的拯救。
19 “迦得必被强盗劫掠，
他却要反败为胜追赶他们。
20 “亚设必有丰美的出产和供君王享用的美味。
21 “拿弗他利是头自由的母鹿，
养育美丽的小鹿[a]。
22 “约瑟是多结果子的枝条，
长在水泉旁，
他的枝条探出墙外。
23 弓箭手凶猛地攻击他，
恶狠狠地射他。
24 但他手持强弓，
双臂稳健有力，
因为雅各的大能者——以色列的牧者和磐石帮助他。
25 你父亲的上帝必帮助你，
全能者必赐你天上的恩泽、
地上的百福，
使你子孙兴旺、牛羊满圈。
26 你父亲的祝福高过亘古永存的峰峦，
多如绵延无尽的群山，
愿这一切的祝福都临到约瑟头上，
临到这超越众弟兄的人身上。
27 “便雅悯是匹贪婪的狼，
早晨吞吃猎物，
晚上瓜分战利品。”
28 以上是以色列的十二支派，他们的父亲按着他们不同的福分给他们祝福。 29 雅各又嘱咐他们说：“我要离世了，你们要把我葬在赫人以弗仑田间的洞里，让我与祖先在一起。 30 那洞穴在迦南幔利附近的麦比拉田间，是亚伯拉罕向赫人以弗仑买来作坟地的。 31 亚伯拉罕和他的妻子撒拉，以撒和他的妻子利百加都葬在那里，我把利亚也葬在了那里。 32 那块田和田间的洞穴是向赫人买的。” 33 雅各嘱咐完众子，在床上躺下，咽了气，去他祖先那里了。
Footnotes
- 49:21 “养育美丽的小鹿”或译“口出佳美之言”。
Genesis 49
New International Version
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)
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.
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
- Genesis 49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
- Genesis 49:10 Or from his descendants
- Genesis 49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Genesis 49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk
- Genesis 49:14 Or strong
- Genesis 49:14 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
- Genesis 49:16 Dan here means he provides justice.
- Genesis 49:19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders.
- Genesis 49:21 Or free; / he utters beautiful words
- Genesis 49:22 Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill
- Genesis 49:24 Or archers will attack … will shoot … will remain … will stay
- Genesis 49:25 Hebrew Shaddai
- Genesis 49:26 Or of my progenitors, / as great as
- Genesis 49:26 Or of the one separated from
- Genesis 49:32 Or the descendants of Heth
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