Genesis 49

Then Jacob summoned {all} his sons. He said {to them}, “Come together {here}, so that I can tell you what will happen to you {and your descendants} in the years ahead. 2 My sons, gather around {me,} {your father} Jacob, and listen {to me}. {I,} your father Israel, have something {important} to tell you. \* 3 Reuben, you {are} my oldest {son}, {the result of} my strength and the first child I had as a young man. {You had} high status and great authority {in our family}. 4 {However,} {you are} unstable like {rushing} water, {so} you will no longer have your important status {in our family}, because you got {into} my bed {with my concubine} {and} dishonored me! You {actually} climbed {into} my couch! \* 5 Simeon and Levi, {you are} partners. You use your swords to do violent things {together}. 6 I will never participate with you when you plan {evil} things! I refuse to make {evil} plans with you, because you became angry and murdered {many} people, and {just} to entertain yourselves you crippled {some} cattle. \* 7 May God curse you for being so fiercely angry and malicious! I {ask God to} scatter you {and your descendants} among {the descendants of} Jacob. That’s right, I {ask him to} scatter you throughout {the land of} Israel. \* 8 Judah, your brothers {and their descendants} will {highly} praise you {and your descendants}. You will conquer your enemies. {Then} my {other} sons will prostrate themselves before you {and your descendants} {in respect}. \* 9 Judah, my son, {you are} {powerful} {like} a young lion that has returned {to its den} after {killing} {its} prey. It stretches out {and} lies down {to sleep}. No one dares to disturb that lion. \* 10 Judah, there will always be one of your descendants ruling as king. In fact, your descendants will rule until the {highest} king comes and the peoples {of the earth} obey him. \* 11 You {and your descendants} will {be so wealthy that you could} tie your donkey{s} to {your} {grape}vine{s} {to eat the valuable fruit}. {It will not matter if} your donkeys’ colts eat {your} best {grapevine} branch{es}. {You will still have so much wine from other vines that} you could {even} use it like water to wash your clothes. 12 {Your} eyes {will be} bright from {drinking} {abundant} wine, and {your} teeth {will be} white from {drinking} {abundant} milk. \* 13 Zebulun, {you} {and your descendants} will live near the coast, where there will be a {safe} harbor for ships. Your territory {will extend} as far {north} as {the city of} Sidon. \* 14 Issachar, {you} {and your descendants} {will be} {like} a sturdy donkey {that is} resting {on the ground} between two loads. 15 You will have a good place to rest, in a land that is pleasant, but you will work hard and carry {heavy loads}. You will have to work {very} hard {for others} as slaves. \* 16 Dan, you {and your descendants} will rule your {own} people and have equal status with {the rest of} the tribes of Israel. 17 You will be {like} a poisonous snake {lying} beside a road that strikes the feet of {its enemy’s} horse, so that {it rears up and} the enemy falls off backward {to the ground}.” 18 {Then Jacob paused and exclaimed,} “God, I am looking expectantly to you to save {me}!” \* 19 {Then he continued,} “{As for you,} Gad, a group of robbers will attack you {and your descendants}, but you will chase them {and defeat them}. 20 Asher, {you} {and your descendants} will {be wealthy and} eat the best food. In fact, you will produce delicious foods {that are fit} for kings {to eat}. 21 Naphtali, {you} {and your descendants} {will be} {swift} {like} a deer that is free to run wherever it wants. You will {also} speak eloquently. \* 22 Joseph, {you} {and your descendants} {will become} very numerous {like} {fruit on} a productive {tree} {that is growing} next to a stream {of water}, {with} branches {full of fruit} that hang over a {nearby} wall. 23 Enemy warriors will {fiercely} attack you {and your descendants} and shoot {arrows} {at you} and try to destroy you. \* 24 But the Mighty {God} whom I worship will keep you strong and help you use your weapons well {as you fight back}. He takes care of {his people} the way a shepherd takes care of his sheep. {He is} {like} a rock {fortress} who protects Israel {and his descendants}. \* 25 {That strength/power comes} from the God {who has always taken care} of {me,} your father. He is the all-powerful {God} who will help you {and your descendants} and bless you {all} {with} rain from above and water from deep in the ground. He will {also} bless {you} with many children {and much livestock}. \* 26 {God} has blessed me more than he blessed my ancestors. {He has blessed me with riches that are} greater than the riches {that come} from the ancient mountains. I pray that {God} will abundantly bless {you too,} Joseph, as the one he chose to set apart {and honor} above your brothers. \* 27 Benjamin {you and your descendants} {will be} {like} a fierce wolf. You will always defeat your enemies and take their possessions and wealth.” \*

Those {twelve sons} {are} {the ancestors of} the twelve tribes that descended from Israel, and those {were} the blessings that their father spoke to them. He blessed each one of them with blessings that were appropriate for them {and their descendants}.

Then Jacob instructed his sons by saying to them, “I am about to {die and} join my ancestors {who have already died}. Bury my body next to their {bodies} inside the cave that {is} in the field that Ephron the Hittite used to own.

That cave and field are in the Machpelah {area} that is near {the city of} Mamre in the region of Canaan. {That is the cave} that {my grandfather} Abraham bought, along with the field, from Ephron the Hittite, in order to have a place to bury {his dead relatives}. \*

That is where {the bodies of} Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, {and} where {the bodies of} Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and that is where I buried {the body of} {my wife} Leah.

{Abraham} bought that field and cave from the descendants of Heth.”

When Jacob had finished giving those instructions to his sons, he {lay down and} pulled his feet {up} into {his} bed. Then he took his last breath {and died} and joined his ancestors {who had died before him}. \*