TorahOld Testament
Chapter 49· Book I of 39
1Verse 1. Open verse actions.Jacob 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. 2Verse 2. Open verse actions.Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father. 3Verse 3. Open verse actions.“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. 4Verse 4. Open verse actions.Boiling 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. 5Verse 5. Open verse actions.“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence. 6Verse 6. Open verse actions.My 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. 7Verse 7. Open verse actions.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. 8Verse 8. Open verse actions.“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. 9Verse 9. Open verse actions.Judah 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? 10Verse 10. Open verse actions.The 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. 11Verse 11. Open verse actions.Binding 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. 12Verse 12. Open verse actions.His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk. 13Verse 13. Open verse actions.“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon. 14Verse 14. Open verse actions.“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags. 15Verse 15. Open verse actions.He 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. 16Verse 16. Open verse actions.“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17Verse 17. Open verse actions.Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward. 18Verse 18. Open verse actions.I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh. 19Verse 19. Open verse actions.“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel. 20Verse 20. Open verse actions.“Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties. 21Verse 21. Open verse actions.“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns. 22Verse 22. Open verse actions.“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall. 23Verse 23. Open verse actions.The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him: 24Verse 24. Open verse actions.But 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), 25Verse 25. Open verse actions.even 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. 26Verse 26. Open verse actions.The 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. 27Verse 27. Open verse actions.“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.” 28Verse 28. Open verse actions.All 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. 29Verse 29. Open verse actions.He 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, 30Verse 30. Open verse actions.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 from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place. 31Verse 31. Open verse actions.There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah: 32Verse 32. Open verse actions.the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.” 33Verse 33. Open verse actions.When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.