Genesis 49

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Jacob called his sons and said: "Gather around, that I may tell you what is to happen to you in days to come.	1 Jacob cal ed his sons and said, 'Gather round, so that I can tell you what is in store for you in the final days.
2 "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father.	2 Gather round, sons of Jacob, and listen; listen to Israel your father.
3 "You, Reuben, my first-born, my strength and the first fruit of my manhood, excelling in rank and excelling in power!	3 Reuben, you are my first-born, my vigour, and the first-fruit of my manhood, foremost in pride,foremost in strength,
4 Unruly as water, you shall no longer excel, for you climbed into your father's bed and defiled my couch to my sorrow.	4 uncontrol ed as water: you wil not be foremost, for you climbed into your father's bed, and so defiledmy couch, to my sorrow.
5 "Simeon and Levi, brothers indeed, weapons of violence are their knives.	5 Simeon and Levi are brothers in carrying out their malicious plans.
6 Let not my soul enter their council, or my spirit be joined with their company; For in their fury they slew men, in their willfulness they maimed oxen.	6 May my soul not enter their council nor my heart join their company, for in their rage they have kil edmen and hamstrung oxen at their whim.
7 Cursed be their fury so fierce, and their rage so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob, disperse them throughout Israel.	7 Accursed be their rage for its ruthlessness, their wrath for its ferocity. I shall disperse them in Jacob, Ishall scatter them through Israel.
8 "You, Judah, shall your brothers praise --your hand on the neck of your enemies; the sons of your father shall bow down to you.	8 Judah, your brothers wil praise you: you grip your enemies by the neck, your father's sons wil do youhomage.
9 Judah, like a lion's whelp, you have grown up on prey, my son. He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts--who would dare rouse him?	9 Judah is a lion's whelp; You stand over your prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, amighty lion: who dare rouse him?
10 The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, While tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people's homage.	10 The sceptre shall not pass from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute bebrought him and the peoples render him obedience.
11 He tethers his donkey to the vine, his purebred ass to the choicest stem. In wine he washes his garments his robe in the blood of grapes.	11 He tethers his donkey to the vine, to its stock the foal of his she-donkey. He washes his clothes inwine, his robes in the blood of the grape.
12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.	12 His eyes are darkened with wine and his teeth are white with milk.
13 "Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore (This means a shore for ships), and his flank shall be based on Sidon.	13 Zebulun wil live by the seashore and be a sailor on board the ships, with Sidon on his flank.
14 "Issachar is a rawboned ass, crouching between the saddlebags.	14 Issachar is a strong donkey lying down among sheepfolds.
15 When he saw how good a settled life was, and how pleasant the country, He bent his shoulder to the burden and became a toiling serf.	15 When he saw how good the resting-place and how pleasant the country, he bowed his shoulder tothe load and became a slave to forced labour.
16 "Dan shall achieve justice for his kindred like any other tribe of Israel.	16 Dan wil govern his people like any other of the tribes of Israel.
17 Let Dan be a serpent by the roadside, a horned viper by the path, That bites the horse's heel, so that the rider tumbles backward.	17 May Dan be a snake on the road, a viper on the path, who bites the horse on the hock so that itsrider falls off backwards!
18 "(I long for your deliverance, O LORD!)	18 I long for your deliverance, Yahweh!
19 "Gad shall be raided by raiders, but he shall raid at their heels.	19 Gad wil be raided by raiders, and he wil raid at their heels.
20 "Asher's produce is rich, and he shall furnish dainties for kings.	20 Rich the food produced by Asher: he will furnish food fit for kings.
21 "Naphtali is a hind let loose which brings forth lovely fawns.	21 Naphtali is a swift hind bearing lovely fawns.
22 "Joseph is a wild colt ,a wild colt by a spring, a wild ass on a hillside.	22 Joseph is a fruitful plant near a spring whose tendrils reach over the wal .
23 Harrying and attacking, the archers opposed him;	23 Archers in their hostility drew their bows and attacked him.
24 But each one's bow remained stiff, as their arms were unsteady, By the power of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,	24 But their bows were broken by a mighty One, the sinews of their arms were snapped by the power ofthe Mighty One of Jacob, by the Name of the Stone of Israel,
25 The God of your father, who helps you, God Almighty, who blesses you, With the blessings of the heavens above, the blessings of the abyss that crouches below, The blessings of breasts and womb,	25 the God of your father who assists you, El Shaddai who blesses you: blessings of heaven above,blessings of the deep lying below, blessings of the breasts and womb,
26 the blessings of fresh grain and blossoms, The blessings of the everlasting mountains, the delights of the eternal hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.	26 blessings of the grain and flowers, blessings of the eternal mountains, bounty of the everlasting hil s-- may they descend on Joseph's head, on the crown of the one dedicated from among his brothers!
27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; mornings he devours the prey, and evenings he distributes the spoils."	27 Benjamin is a ravening wolf, in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he is still sharing outthe spoil.'
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said about them, as he bade them farewell and gave to each of them an appropriate message.	28 Al these make up the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what their father said to them ashe bade them farewell, giving each an appropriate blessing.
29 Then he gave them this charge: "Since I am about to be taken to my kindred, bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hittite,	29 Then he gave them these instructions, 'I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with myancestors, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground.	30 in the cave in the field at Machpelah, facing Mamre, in Canaan, which Abraham bought from Ephronthe Hittite as a burial site of his own.
31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there, too, I buried Leah--	31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried. There Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried; andthere I buried Leah-
32 the field and the cave in it that had been purchased from the Hittites."	32 the field and the cave in it which were bought from the Hittites.'
33 When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was taken to his kindred.	33 When Jacob had finished giving his instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, andbreathing his last was gathered to his people.