Capítulo 49

1 - Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2 - "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

3 - "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

4 - Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

5 - "Simeon and Levi are brothers - their swords The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. are weapons of violence.

6 - Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.

7 - Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

8 - "Judah, [Judah] sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for [praise.] your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you.

9 - You are a lion's cub, Judah; you return from the prey, 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, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Or [from his descendants] until he to whom it belongs Or [to whom tribute belongs]; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

11 - He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 - His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. Or [will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk]

13 - "Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.

14 - "Issachar is a rawboned Or [strong] donkey lying down among the sheep pens. Or [the campfires]; or [the saddlebags]

15 - When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.

16 - "Dan [Dan] here means [he provides justice.] will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 - Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

18 - "I look for your deliverance, Lord.

19 - "Gad [Gad] sounds like the Hebrew for [attack] and also for [band of raiders.] will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.

20 - "Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

21 - "Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. Or [free; / he utters beautiful words]

22 - "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. Or [Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill]

23 - With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.

24 - But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed Or [archers will attack ...; will shoot ...; will remain ...; will stay] limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25 - because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, Hebrew [Shaddai] who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb.

26 - Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than Or [of my progenitors, / as great as] the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among Or [of the one separated from] his brothers.

27 - "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder."

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

29 - Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30 - the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.

31 - There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.

32 - The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites. Or [the descendants of Heth]"

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.