Jacob blesses his sons<\/span><\/h4>\n1 <\/sup>Jacob called his sons and said, Gather together, so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come. (1)<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n\n
2 <\/sup>Come together, O sons of Jacob, and hear this.<\/span>
\nListen to your father Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
3 <\/sup>Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,<\/span>
\nAnd the beginning of my passion,<\/span>
\nExcellence in dignity and excellence in power.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
4 <\/sup>You will not become great even if you boil like water,<\/span>
\nBecause you went to your father’s bed,<\/span>
\nAnd you defiled it.<\/span>
\nHe went all the way to my sofa!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
5 <\/sup>Simeon and Levi are brothers.<\/span>
\ntheir daggers (2)<\/sup> There are weapons of violence.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
6 <\/sup>O my soul, do not enter their assembly.<\/span>
\nO my glory, do not attend their gathering.<\/span>
\nYes, in their anger they killed humans.<\/span>
\nIn their anger they crushed the bulls.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
7 <\/sup>Cursed be their anger, for it was terrible.<\/span>
\nCursed be their anger, for it was cruel.<\/span>
\nI will distribute them among Jacob.<\/span>
\nI will scatter them throughout Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
8 <\/sup>Judah, your brothers will praise you.<\/span>
\nYour hand will be on the neck of your enemies.<\/span>
\nYour father’s sons will worship you.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
9 <\/sup>Judah is a lion cub.<\/span>
\nO my son, you have risen above hunting.<\/span>
\nHe bent down. He bowed down like a lion.<\/span>
\nShe is like a lioness. Who will provoke him?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
10 <\/sup>The scepter will not leave Judah,<\/span>
\nNor the ruler’s stick from between his legs,<\/span>
\nUntil the one to whom it belongs comes. (3)<\/sup><\/span>
\nHe will get the obedience of the people.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
11 <\/sup>He will tie his child to a vine,<\/span>
\nBring his donkey’s foal to the best vine.<\/span>
\nHe has washed his clothes in wine,<\/span>
\nHis clothes are stained with grape blood.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
12 <\/sup>His eyes will be darker than wine,<\/span>
\nHis teeth are whiter than milk. (4)<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
13 <\/sup>Zebulun will reside on the seashore.<\/span>
\nIt will provide a landing place for ships.<\/span>
\nHis border will extend towards Sidon.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
14 <\/sup>Issachar is a strong donkey,<\/span>
\nLying between the saddlebags. (5)<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
15 <\/sup>He saw a resting place which was good.<\/span>
\nHe saw a land that was pleasant.<\/span>
\nHe bends his shoulders under the burden<\/span>
\nAnd while doing forced labour, he becomes a slave.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
16 <\/sup>Dan will judge his people<\/span>
\nAs one of the tribes of Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
17 <\/sup>There will be a snake in the path of charity,<\/span>
\nA snake on the way.<\/span>
\nIt bites the horse’s heel,<\/span>
\nDue to which its rider falls backwards.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
18 <\/sup>I have waited for your salvation, O! God<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
19 <\/sup>The attackers will attack the silt,<\/span>
\nBut he will attack their heels.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
20 <\/sup>Asher’s food will be delicious.<\/span>
\nHe will prepare dishes worthy of a king.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
21 <\/sup>Naphtali is a deer that has become free,<\/span>
\nHe raises beautiful deer kids. (6)<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
22 <\/sup>Joseph is a fruitful vine,<\/span>
\nA fruitful vine on the bank of a waterfall.<\/span>
\nIts branches pass over the wall. (7)<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
23 <\/sup>The archers attacked them fiercely.<\/span>
\nThey shot at him and harassed him,<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
24 <\/sup>But his bow remained steady.<\/span>
\nhis arms and hands were strengthened<\/span>
\nBy the hands of the mighty one of Jacob,<\/span>
\nin the name of (8)<\/sup> Shepherd, Stone of Israel,<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
25 <\/sup>I swear by the God of your father, who will help you,<\/span>
\nBy the Almighty, who will bless you<\/span>
\nWith blessings from heaven above,<\/span>
\nBlessings from the depths below,<\/span>
\nBlessings from the breasts and from the womb.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
26 <\/sup>Your father’s blessings are greater than your father’s blessings<\/span>
\n <\/span>my parents, (9)<\/sup><\/span><\/span>
\nGreater than the treasures of the ancient hills.<\/span>
\nThey will rest on the head of Joseph,<\/span>
\nOn the forehead of one who is higher than his brothers.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
27 <\/sup>Benjamin is a dire wolf.<\/span>
\nIn the morning he will eat the prey.<\/span>
\nIn the evening he will distribute the loot.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n28 <\/sup>These are all the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father told them when he blessed them. He gave appropriate blessings to each one. <\/span> 29 <\/sup>He taught them and said to them, I am returned to my people; bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. <\/span> 30 <\/sup>In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite, along with its field for a tomb. <\/span> 31 <\/sup>There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah. There they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there they buried Leah also. <\/span> 32 <\/sup>That field and the cave in it were bought from the descendants of Hittt.\u201d (10)<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\nJacob’s death and burial<\/span><\/h4>\n33 <\/sup>When Jacob finished instructing his sons, he raised his feet on the bed, took his last breath, and gathered among his people.<\/span><\/p>\n