The Genesis
Chapter
49
1 Then Jacob called the rest of his sons and said to them: 2 'Gather here so I can tell you what will happen to you in later years. Gather and listen to me, sons of Jacob. Listen to IsraEl… listen to your father!
3 'ReuBen; You're my firstborn and my strength. You're the first of my children, but you're hard to endure, [pig headed], 4 and as unruly as water; so bring an end to your violence! You even climbed up on your father's bed and dirtied the couch that you climbed on.
5 'SimeOn and Levi; You are brothers who are good at the injustices that separated you. 6 May my soul pay no attention to the things that you say, and may my feelings never have any part in your conspiracies. For you've killed men in anger, and in your passion, you've cut off the feet of bulls. 7 May your anger be cursed, because it is willful and cruel. So I will separate you in [the land of] Jacob and scatter you in IsraEl.
8 'Judah; Your brothers have spoken well you, so your hands will stay on the backs of your enemies and your father's sons will bow to you… 9 for Judah is the cub of a lion. 'My son: You've grown from the tender plant [you once were], and now you are a young lion. So, by whom can you ever be beaten?
10 'There will always be a ruler from Judah, and princes will come from his loins, until the one we're awaiting arrives… The one who's the hope of the nations.
11 '[He'll] tie his foal to a vine… The foal of his burro to a branch. And he'll wash his robes in [fine] wine… In the blood of grapes, wash his clothes.
12 His eyes will bring more cheer than wine, and his teeth [will be] whiter than milk.
13 'ZebuLun will live on the coast, near a shipping port that reaches to Sidon.
14 'IshSachar has desired the best thing… to rest among the [other] inheritances. 15 And [when he finds] the resting place good and the land fertile, he will put his shoulders to work and become a farmer.
16 'Dan will judge his people as a single tribe in IsraEl. 17 So let Dan be a snake on the road that blocks the path and bites at the hooves of horses, causing their riders to fall, 18 while he awaits Jehovah's salvation.
19 'A group of plunderers will plunder Gad. However, he will also follow and plunder them.
20 'Asher will have plenty of bread, and he will provide delicious things to princes.
21 'NaphTali is a spreading vine [that will bear] beautiful fruit.
22 'JoSeph is a son that has grown… My dearly-loved son has now grown. You've returned to me, my younger son…
23 You whom the evil have spoken against… The one who was plotted against, and whom archers [have tried to shoot down].
24 But their bows and arrows were quickly destroyed, and the hand of Jacob's Great Mighty One, weakened the power of their arms, because he's the one who brought the strength of the God of IsraEl, his father.
25 'My God has helped you and blest you with the blessings that come from above. They're the blessings of the ground that owns all… They're the blessings of the breasts and the womb.
26 They're the blessings of your father and mother, which last longer than the blessings of the mountains, and [longer than] the hills of the ages. 'These [blessings] will be upon JoSeph's head, And on the heads of the brothers, over whom he has taken the lead.
27 'BenJamin is a hungry wolf that eats throughout the morning and provides food in the evening.'
28 All these are the twelve sons of Jacob, and that's what their father said to them. He blest them… he blest each of them by the blessings that they would receive. 29 Then he said to them: 'Now I'm going to my people; so bury me with my ancestors in the cave that is in the field of EphRon the Chettite. 30 It's the double cave across from MamRe in the land of CanaAn.' AbraHam bought the cave as a tomb from EphRon the Chettite, 31 and it's where they buried AbraHam and his woman SarAh, IsaAc and his women RebecKa and LeAh, 32 in that part of the field where the cave of the sons of Chet is located.
33 Then Jacob stopped giving instructions to his sons, and he lifted his feet on the bed and died… and was buried with his people.
3 'ReuBen; You're my firstborn and my strength. You're the first of my children, but you're hard to endure, [pig headed], 4 and as unruly as water; so bring an end to your violence! You even climbed up on your father's bed and dirtied the couch that you climbed on.
5 'SimeOn and Levi; You are brothers who are good at the injustices that separated you. 6 May my soul pay no attention to the things that you say, and may my feelings never have any part in your conspiracies. For you've killed men in anger, and in your passion, you've cut off the feet of bulls. 7 May your anger be cursed, because it is willful and cruel. So I will separate you in [the land of] Jacob and scatter you in IsraEl.
8 'Judah; Your brothers have spoken well you, so your hands will stay on the backs of your enemies and your father's sons will bow to you… 9 for Judah is the cub of a lion. 'My son: You've grown from the tender plant [you once were], and now you are a young lion. So, by whom can you ever be beaten?
10 'There will always be a ruler from Judah, and princes will come from his loins, until the one we're awaiting arrives… The one who's the hope of the nations.
11 '[He'll] tie his foal to a vine… The foal of his burro to a branch. And he'll wash his robes in [fine] wine… In the blood of grapes, wash his clothes.
12 His eyes will bring more cheer than wine, and his teeth [will be] whiter than milk.
13 'ZebuLun will live on the coast, near a shipping port that reaches to Sidon.
14 'IshSachar has desired the best thing… to rest among the [other] inheritances. 15 And [when he finds] the resting place good and the land fertile, he will put his shoulders to work and become a farmer.
16 'Dan will judge his people as a single tribe in IsraEl. 17 So let Dan be a snake on the road that blocks the path and bites at the hooves of horses, causing their riders to fall, 18 while he awaits Jehovah's salvation.
19 'A group of plunderers will plunder Gad. However, he will also follow and plunder them.
20 'Asher will have plenty of bread, and he will provide delicious things to princes.
21 'NaphTali is a spreading vine [that will bear] beautiful fruit.
22 'JoSeph is a son that has grown… My dearly-loved son has now grown. You've returned to me, my younger son…
23 You whom the evil have spoken against… The one who was plotted against, and whom archers [have tried to shoot down].
24 But their bows and arrows were quickly destroyed, and the hand of Jacob's Great Mighty One, weakened the power of their arms, because he's the one who brought the strength of the God of IsraEl, his father.
25 'My God has helped you and blest you with the blessings that come from above. They're the blessings of the ground that owns all… They're the blessings of the breasts and the womb.
26 They're the blessings of your father and mother, which last longer than the blessings of the mountains, and [longer than] the hills of the ages. 'These [blessings] will be upon JoSeph's head, And on the heads of the brothers, over whom he has taken the lead.
27 'BenJamin is a hungry wolf that eats throughout the morning and provides food in the evening.'
28 All these are the twelve sons of Jacob, and that's what their father said to them. He blest them… he blest each of them by the blessings that they would receive. 29 Then he said to them: 'Now I'm going to my people; so bury me with my ancestors in the cave that is in the field of EphRon the Chettite. 30 It's the double cave across from MamRe in the land of CanaAn.' AbraHam bought the cave as a tomb from EphRon the Chettite, 31 and it's where they buried AbraHam and his woman SarAh, IsaAc and his women RebecKa and LeAh, 32 in that part of the field where the cave of the sons of Chet is located.
33 Then Jacob stopped giving instructions to his sons, and he lifted his feet on the bed and died… and was buried with his people.
2001translation.com
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