Jacob’s Last Words

49 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather around, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.[a](A)

Come together and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel:

Reuben, you are my firstborn,(B)
my strength and the firstfruits of my virility,(C)
excelling in prominence, excelling in power.
Turbulent as water, you will no longer excel,
because you got into your father’s bed(D)
and you defiled it—he[b] got into my bed.

Simeon and Levi are brothers;
their knives are vicious weapons.(E)
May I never enter their council;
may I never join their assembly.
For in their anger they kill men,
and on a whim they hamstring oxen.
Their anger is cursed, for it is strong,
and their fury, for it is cruel!
I will disperse them throughout Jacob
and scatter them throughout Israel.(F)

Judah, your brothers will praise you.(G)
Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.(H)
Judah is a young lion(I)
my son, you return from the kill.
He crouches; he lies down like a lion
or a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah
or the staff from between his feet
until He whose right it is comes[c](J)
and the obedience of the peoples belongs to Him.(K)
11 He ties his donkey to a vine,
and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine
and his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.

13 Zebulun will live by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships,
and his territory will be next to Sidon.(L)

14 Issachar is a strong donkey
lying down between the saddlebags.[d]
15 He saw that his resting place was good
and that the land was pleasant,
so he leaned his shoulder to bear a load
and became a forced laborer.(M)

16 Dan will judge his people(N)
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 He will be a snake by the road,
a viper beside the path,
that bites the horses’ heels
so that its rider falls backward.

18 I wait for Your salvation, Lord.

19 Gad will be attacked by raiders,
but he will attack their heels.(O)

20 Asher’s[e] food will be rich,
and he will produce royal delicacies.(P)

21 Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.(Q)

22 Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine beside a spring;
its branches[f] climb over the wall.[g]
23 The archers attacked him,
shot at him, and were hostile toward him.
24 Yet his bow remained steady,
and his strong[h] arms were made agile
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,(R)
by the name of[i] the Shepherd,(S) the Rock of Israel,(T)
25 by the God of your father who helps you,
and by the Almighty who blesses you
with blessings of the heavens above,
blessings of the deep that lies below,
and blessings of the breasts and the womb.
26 The blessings of your father excel
the blessings of my ancestors[j]
and[k] the bounty of the eternal hills.[l](U)
May they rest on the head of Joseph,
on the crown of the prince of his brothers.

27 Benjamin is a wolf; he tears his prey.
In the morning he devours the prey,
and in the evening he divides the plunder.”(V)

28 These are the tribes of Israel, 12 in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

Jacob’s Burial Instructions

29 Then he commanded them: “I am about to be gathered to my people.(W) Bury me with my fathers(X) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.(Y) 30 The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.(Z) 31 Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there,(AA) Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there,(AB) and I buried Leah there.(AC) 32 The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and died. He was gathered to his people.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 49:1 Or in the last days
  2. Genesis 49:4 LXX, Syr, Tg read you
  3. Genesis 49:10 Or until tribute comes to him, or until Shiloh comes, or until He comes to Shiloh
  4. Genesis 49:14 Or sheepfolds
  5. Genesis 49:20 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads their heel. 20 From Asher
  6. Genesis 49:22 Lit daughters
  7. Genesis 49:22 Hb obscure
  8. Genesis 49:24 Lit and the hands of his
  9. Genesis 49:24 Syr, Tg; MT reads Jacob, from there
  10. Genesis 49:26 Or of the mountains
  11. Genesis 49:26 Lit to
  12. Genesis 49:26 Hb obscure

Yakobo Asabira Batabani be Omukisa

49 (A)Awo Yakobo n’ayita batabani be n’abagamba nti, Mukuŋŋaane, ndyoke mbategeeze ebiribabaako mu nnaku ezijja.

(B)Mukuŋŋaane muwulire, mwe abaana ba Yakobo,
    muwulirize Isirayiri kitammwe.

(C)Lewubeeni ggwe mubereberye wange,
    amaanyi gange, ebibala ebibereberye eby’amaanyi gange,
    ekitiibwa n’obuyinza ebiyitirivu.
(D)Naye tafugika, oli ng’amayengo g’ennyanja, naye tokyali wa kitiibwa,
    kubanga walinnya ekitanda kya kitaawo,
    mu nnyumba yange, n’okyonoona.

(E)Simyoni ne Leevi baaluganda,
    ebitala byabwe byakulwanyisa bya maanyi.
(F)Ayi omwoyo gwange teweetaba mu kuteesa kwabwe.
    Ayi omwoyo gwange teweegatta nabo.
Kubanga mu busungu bwabwe batta abantu,
    olw’okwekulumbaza kwabwe baatema ente olunywa.
(G)Obusungu bwabwe bukolimirwe, kubanga bungi;
    n’obukambwe bwabwe, kubanga bwa ttima.
Ndibaawula mu Yakobo,
    ndibasaasaanya mu Isirayiri.

(H)Yuda gwe baganda bo banaakutenderezanga.
    Omukono gwo gunaatulugunyanga abalabe bo.
    Abaana ba kitaawo banaakuvuunamiranga.
(I)Yuda, mwana w’empologoma.
    Oyambuse mwana wange, ng’ovudde ku muyiggo.
Yakutama, yabwama ng’empologoma.
    Ddala ng’empologoma enkazi, ani anaakweŋŋanga?
10 (J)Era omuggo gw’omufuzi teguuvenga wakati wa bigere bya Yuda,
    okutuusa Siiro lw’alijja;
era oyo amawanga gonna
    gwe ganaawuliranga.
11 Alisiba endogoyi ku muzabbibu,
    n’omwana gw’endogoyi ku muzabbibu ogusinga obulungi,
ayoza ebyambalo bye mu nvinnyo,
    n’engoye ze mu musaayi gwe zabbibu.
12 Amaaso ge galimyuka wayini,
    n’amannyo ge galitukula okusinga amata.

13 (K)Zebbulooni alibeera ku mabbali ga nnyanja;
    anaabanga mwalo gw’amaato,
    ensalo ze ziriba ku Sidoni.

14 (L)Isakaali ndogoyi ya maanyi,
    ng’akutama wakati mu bisibo by’endiga;
15 yalaba ng’ekifo ky’okuwummuliramu kirungi;
    nga n’ensi esanyusa;
n’alyoka akkakkanya ekibegabega kye okusitula,
    n’afuuka omuddu ow’okukozesebwanga emirimu egy’obuwaze.

16 (M)Ddaani anaalamulanga mu bwenkanya abantu be
    ng’ekika ekimu ku bika bya Isirayiri.
17 (N)Ddaani anaaba musota mu kkubo,
    essalambwa ku kkubo,
eriruma ebisinziiro by’embalaasi,
    omwebagazi waayo alyoke agwe emabega waayo.

18 (O)Nnindirira obulokozi bwo, Ayi Mukama.

19 (P)Gaadi alirumbibwa ogubiina gw’abanyazi,
    naye ye, alibafubutukira emabega.

20 (Q)Aseri emmere ye eneebanga ngimu,
    era anaagemuliranga kabaka ebyokulya.

21 (R)Nafutaali mpeewo ya ddembe,
    avaamu ebigambo ebirungi.

22 (S)Yusufu lye ttabi eribala ennyo,
    ettabi eribala ennyo eriri ku mugga;
    abaana be babuna bbugwe.
23 (T)Abalasa obusaale baamulumba bubi nnyo,
    baamulasa ne bamulumya nnyo;
24 (U)naye omutego gwe ne gunywera,
    n’emikono gye ne gitasagaasagana.
Olw’omukono gwa Ayinzabyonna owa Yakobo,
    olw’Omusumba, Olwazi lwa Isirayiri,
25 (V)olwa Katonda wa kitaawo, akuyamba,
    olwa Ayinzabyonna akuwa omukisa,
omukisa oguva waggulu mu ggulu,
    omukisa ogwa wansi mu buziba,
    omukisa ogw’omu lubuto ne mu mabeere.
26 (W)Omukisa gwa kitaawo
    gusinga omukisa gwa bajjajjange,
    gusinga egyo egyaweebwa bajjajja ab’edda.
Gino gyonna gibeere ku mutwe gwa Yusufu,
    gibeere ne ku bukowekowe bw’oyo eyayawukanyizibwa ne baganda be.

27 (X)Benyamini musege ogunyaga,
    mu makya alya omuyiggo,
    mu kawungeezi n’agaba omunyago.

28 Ebyo byonna by’ebika ekkumi n’ebiriri ebya Isirayiri, era ebyo kitaabwe bye yayogera nabo ng’abasabira omukisa. Buli omu ng’amusabira omukisa ogumusaanira.

Okufa kwa Yakobo

29 (Y)Oluvannyuma n’abakuutira n’abagamba nti, “Nditwalibwa eri abantu bange gye baatwalibwa. Munziikanga wamu ne bajjajjange, mu mpuku eri mu nnimiro ya Efulooni Omukiiti, 30 (Z)mu mpuku eri mu nnimiro ya Makupeera, okumpi ne Mamule, mu nsi ya Kanani, Ibulayimu gye yagulira mu nnimiro, okuva ku Efulooni Omukiiti. Yagigula okuba obutaka bw’okuziikangamu. 31 (AA)Awo we waaziikibwa Ibulayimu ne Saala mukazi we, era ne Isaaka ne Lebbeeka mukazi we, we baaziikwa, era awo we naziika Leeya. 32 Ennimiro n’empuku erimu byagulibwa okuva ku baana ba Kesi.”

33 (AB)Yakobo bwe yamala okukuutira batabani be, n’azaayo ebigere bye mu kitanda, n’assa omukka ogw’enkomerero n’afa n’akuŋŋaanyizibwa eri abantu be.

49 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

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.

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:

15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

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

17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.

19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers 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, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.

31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.

33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

49 (iv) Then Ya‘akov called for his sons and said,

“Gather yourselves together, and I will tell you
what will happen to you in the acharit-hayamim.
Assemble yourselves and listen, sons of Ya‘akov;
pay attention to Isra’el your father.

“Re’uven, you are my firstborn,
my strength, the firstfruits of my manhood.
Though superior in vigor and power
you are unstable as water, so your superiority will end,
because you climbed into your father’s bed
and defiled it — he climbed onto my concubine’s couch!

“Shim‘on and Levi are brothers,
related by weapons of violence.
Let me not enter their council,
let my honor not be connected with their people;
for in their anger they killed men,
and at their whim they maimed cattle.
Cursed be their anger, for it has been fierce;
their fury, for it has been cruel.
I will divide them in Ya‘akov
and scatter them in Isra’el.

“Y’hudah, your brothers will acknowledge you,
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies,
your father’s sons will bow down before you.
Y’hudah is a lion’s cub;
my son, you stand over the prey.
He crouches down and stretches like a lion;
like a lioness, who dares to provoke him?
10 The scepter will not pass from Y’hudah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his legs,
until he comes to whom [obedience] belongs; [a]
and it is he whom the peoples will obey.
11 Tying his donkey to the vine,
his donkey’s colt to the choice grapevine,
he washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.

13 “Z’vulun will live at the seashore,
with ships anchoring along his coast
and his border at Tzidon.

14 “Yissakhar is a strong donkey
lying down in the sheep sheds.
15 On seeing how good is settled life
and how pleasant the country,
he will bend his back to the burden,
and submit to forced labor.

16 “Dan will judge his people
as one of the tribes of Isra’el.
17 Dan will be a viper on the road,
a horned snake in the path
that bites the horse’s heels
so its rider falls off backward.
18 I wait for your deliverance, Adonai.

(v) 19 “Gad [troop]— a troop will troop on him,
but he will troop on their heel.

20 “Asher’s food is rich —
he will provide food fit for a king.
21 “Naftali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns. [b]

22 “Yosef is a fruitful plant,
a fruitful plant by a spring,
with branches climbing over the wall.
23 The archers attacked him fiercely,
shooting at him and pressing him hard;
24 but his bow remained taut;
and his arms were made nimble
by the hands of the Mighty One of Ya‘akov,
from there, from the Shepherd, the Stone of Isra’el,
25 by the God of your father, who will help you,
by El Shaddai, who will bless you
with blessings from heaven above,
blessings from the deep, lying below,
blessings from the breasts and the womb.
26 The blessings of your father are more powerful
than the blessings of my parents,
extending to the farthest of the everlasting hills;
they will be on the head of Yosef,
on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

(vi) 27 “Binyamin is a ravenous wolf,
in the morning devouring the prey,
in the evening still dividing the spoil.”

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Isra’el, and this is how their father spoke to them and blessed them, giving each his own individual blessing.

29 Then he charged them as follows: “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave that is in the field of ‘Efron the Hitti, 30 the cave in the field of Makhpelah, by Mamre, in the land of Kena‘an, which Avraham bought together with the field from ‘Efron the Hitti as a burial-place belonging to him — 31 there they buried Avraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Yitz’chak and his wife Rivkah, and there I buried Le’ah — 32 the field and the cave in it, which was purchased from the sons of Het.”

33 When Ya‘akov had finished charging his sons, he drew his legs up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 49:10 or: until Shiloh comes
  2. Genesis 49:21 or: that says beautiful words.