49:1 Jacob summoned his sons saying:
Gather
together so I can tell you
what
will occur in the days ahead.
49:2 Get together to hear
my
sons of Jacob.
Yes,
listen to your teacher
49:3 Reuben, you are the eldest:
My
power and beginning of my strength
exceeding
in dignity and power.
49:4 Unruly as the waters
you
will no longer excel
because
you used your father’s bed
and
defiled my chamber.
49:5 Simeon and Levi are brothers
whose
swords will be weapons of violence.
49:6 My heart won’t have their counsel
my
praise won’t unite their assembly
for
in their anger they murdered people
and
in their greed they slaughtered oxen.
49:7 Cursed be their anger
for
it is dangerous
and
their wrath
for
it is cruel.
As
Jacob I will scatter them
and
as
49:8
your
strength will stiffneck your enemies
and
your father’s sons will bow down to you.
49:9
From
the prey my son will rise.
He
will kneel and lie down as a lion.
And
who will dare stir up a lion?
49:10 The scepter will not leave
nor
the leader’s staff between his feet
until
to whom it belongs appears
and
him the people will follow.
49:11 He ties his foal to the vine
his
donkey’s colt to the choice vine.
He
washes his garments in wine
and
his robes in the blood of grapes.
49:12 His eyes are dull from wine
and
his teeth are white from milk.
49:13 Zebulun will live at the seashore
and
shall be a harbor for ships
and
his flank shall be toward
49:14 Issachar is a strong donkey
lying
down between the sheepfolds.
49:15 When he saw a good resting place
and
the land was pleasant
he
lowered his shoulder
to
carry the burdens
and
become a slave at forced labor.
49:16 Dan shall govern his people
as
one of the tribes of
49:17 Dan will be a snake on the road
a
horned viper on the trail
that
bites the horse’s heels
so
its rider falls backward.
49:18 I await your salvation Yahweh!
49:19 With regard to Gad
raiders
shall attack him
but
he will attack at their rear.
49:20 Asher will have rich food
and
he will yield royal delicacies.
49:21 Naphtali is a doe set free
who
speaks in beautiful terms.
49:22 Joseph is a fruitful branch
a
fruitful branch by a spring
with
shoots that hang over a wall.
49:23 The archers fiercely attached him
shot
at him and harassed him.
49:24 But his bow remained steady
And
his arms stayed agile.
From
the hands of Jacob’s Mighty One
Who
is the Shepherd and Rock of Israel.
49:25 From the God of your teacher
Who
comes to your aid
and
by the Almighty who blesses you
with
the gifts of heaven above
blessings
of the deep lie beneath
blessings
of the breasts and the womb.
49:26 The blessings of your teacher
surpass
the blessings of the ancient ones
to
the limits of the eternal heights.
May
they be on the head of Joseph
and
on the top of the head of one
distinguished
among his brothers.
49:27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.
By
morning he devours the prey
and
by evening he divides the spoils.
49:28 These were the twelve scions of
and
this is what their teacher said to them
when
he blessed them.
He
blessed every one of them
with
the blessing appropriate to him.
49:29 Then he instructed them saying:
I
will be taken away to my people.
Bury
me with my teachers in the cave
in
the field of Ephron
the
follower of Heth.
49:30 In the cave
in
the field of Machpelah
opposite
Mamre in
which
Abraham bought
along
with the field
from
Ephron the Hittite
as
a burial site.
49:31 That’s where they buried Abraham
and
his wife Sarah
and
buried Isaac
and
his wife Rebekah
and
where I buried Leah.
49:32 The field and the cave in it
were
purchased from the followers of Heth.
49:33 When Jacob finished instructing his sons
he
drew his feet into the bed
and
breathed his last
and
was taken up to his people.
