Genesis 49

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Then Jacob called his sons, and he said to them: “Gather together, so that I may announce what will happen to you in the last days.
2 "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father.	2 Gather together and listen, O sons of Jacob. 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, my firstborn, you are my strength and the beginning of my sorrow: first in gifts, greater in authority.
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 You are being poured out like water, may you not increase. For you climbed onto your father’s bed, and you defiled his resting place.
5 "Simeon and Levi, brothers indeed, weapons of violence are their knives.	5 The brothers Simeon and Levi: vessels of iniquity waging war.
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 Let not my soul go by their counsel, nor my glory be within their meeting. For in their fury they killed a man, and in their self-will they undermined a wall.
7 Cursed be their fury so fierce, and their rage so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob, disperse them throughout Israel.	7 Cursed be their fury, because it was obstinate, and their indignation, because it was harsh. I will divide them in Jacob, and I will scatter them in 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 will praise you. Your hand will be at the necks of your enemies; the sons of your father will reverence you.
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 young. You have gone up to the prey, my son. While resting, you have lain like a lion. And just like a lioness, who would 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 scepter from Judah and the leader from his thigh will not be taken away, until he who will be sent arrives, and he will be the expectation of Gentiles.
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 Tying his young colt to the vineyard, and his donkey, O my son, to the vine, he will wash his robe in wine, and his cloak in the blood of the grape.
12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.	12 His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
13 "Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore (This means a shore for ships), and his flank shall be based on Sidon.	13 Zebulun will live at the seashore and by the outpost of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.
14 "Issachar is a rawboned ass, crouching between the saddlebags.	14 Issachar will be a strong donkey, reclining between the borders.
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 He saw that rest would be good, and that the land was excellent. And so he bent his shoulder to carry, and he became a servant under tribute.
16 "Dan shall achieve justice for his kindred like any other tribe of Israel.	16 Dan will judge his people just like any other tribe in 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 Let Dan be a snake in the way, a viper in the path, biting the hooves of horses, so that his rider may fall backward.
18 "(I long for your deliverance, O LORD!)	18 I will wait for your salvation, O Lord.
19 "Gad shall be raided by raiders, but he shall raid at their heels.	19 Gad, being girded, will fight before him. And he himself will be girded backward.
20 "Asher's produce is rich, and he shall furnish dainties for kings.	20 Asher: his bread will be fat, and he will provide delicacies to the kings.
21 "Naphtali is a hind let loose which brings forth lovely fawns.	21 Naphtali is a stag sent forth, offering words of eloquent beauty.
22 "Joseph is a wild colt ,a wild colt by a spring, a wild ass on a hillside.	22 Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and stately to behold; the daughters run back and forth on the wall.
23 Harrying and attacking, the archers opposed him;	23 But those who held darts, provoked him, and they contend with him, and they envied 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 His bow sits in strength, and the bands of his arms and hands have been let loose by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob. From there he went forth as a pastor, 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 will be your helper, and the Almighty will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the abyss that lies beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the 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 The blessings of your father are strengthened by the blessings of his fathers, until the desire of the hills of eternity shall arrive. May they be at the head of Joseph, and at the summit of the Nazarite, among his brothers.
27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; mornings he devours the prey, and evenings he distributes the spoils."	27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning he will eat the prey, and in the evening he will divide the 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 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. These things their father spoke to them, and he blessed each one with their proper blessings.
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 And he instructed them, saying: “I am being gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which 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 opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought, along with its field, from Ephron the Hittite, as a possession for burial.
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 they buried him, with his wife Sarah.” And there Isaac was buried with his wife Rebekah. There also Leah lies preserved.
32 the field and the cave in it that had been purchased from the Hittites."	32 And having finished these commands by which he instructed his sons, he drew his feet onto the bed, and he passed away. And he was gathered to his people.
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.