Genesis 49

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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.	1 Jacob called his sons and said: "Gather around, that I may tell you what is to happen to you in days to come.
2 Gather round, sons of Jacob, and listen; listen to Israel your father.	2 "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father.
3 Reuben, you are my first-born, my vigour, and the first-fruit of my manhood, foremost in pride,foremost in strength,	3 "You, Reuben, my first-born, my strength and the first fruit of my manhood, excelling in rank and excelling in power!
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.	4 Unruly as water, you shall no longer excel, for you climbed into your father's bed and defiled my couch to my sorrow.
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers in carrying out their malicious plans.	5 "Simeon and Levi, brothers indeed, weapons of violence are their knives.
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.	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.
7 Accursed be their rage for its ruthlessness, their wrath for its ferocity. I shall disperse them in Jacob, Ishall scatter them through Israel.	7 Cursed be their fury so fierce, and their rage so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob, disperse them throughout Israel.
8 Judah, your brothers wil praise you: you grip your enemies by the neck, your father's sons wil do youhomage.	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.
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?	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?
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.	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.
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.	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.
12 His eyes are darkened with wine and his teeth are white with milk.	12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.
13 Zebulun wil live by the seashore and be a sailor on board the ships, with Sidon on his flank.	13 "Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore (This means a shore for ships), and his flank shall be based on Sidon.
14 Issachar is a strong donkey lying down among sheepfolds.	14 "Issachar is a rawboned ass, crouching between the saddlebags.
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.	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.
16 Dan wil govern his people like any other of the tribes of Israel.	16 "Dan shall achieve justice for his kindred like any other tribe of Israel.
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!	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.
18 I long for your deliverance, Yahweh!	18 "(I long for your deliverance, O LORD!)
19 Gad wil be raided by raiders, and he wil raid at their heels.	19 "Gad shall be raided by raiders, but he shall raid at their heels.
20 Rich the food produced by Asher: he will furnish food fit for kings.	20 "Asher's produce is rich, and he shall furnish dainties for kings.
21 Naphtali is a swift hind bearing lovely fawns.	21 "Naphtali is a hind let loose which brings forth lovely fawns.
22 Joseph is a fruitful plant near a spring whose tendrils reach over the wal .	22 "Joseph is a wild colt ,a wild colt by a spring, a wild ass on a hillside.
23 Archers in their hostility drew their bows and attacked him.	23 Harrying and attacking, the archers opposed him;
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,	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,
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,	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,
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!	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.
27 Benjamin is a ravening wolf, in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he is still sharing outthe spoil.'	27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; mornings he devours the prey, and evenings he distributes the spoils."
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.	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.
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,	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,
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.	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.
31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried. There Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried; andthere I buried Leah-	31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there, too, I buried Leah--
32 the field and the cave in it which were bought from the Hittites.'	32 the field and the cave in it that had been purchased from the Hittites."
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.	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.