Jacob Blesses His Sons

1Then Jacob (he grasps the heel) called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you⁺ what will happen to you⁺ in the days to come:

2Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob (he grasps the heel);

listen to your⁺ father Israel (he wrestles with God).

3Reuben (behold a son), you are my firstborn, my might,

and the beginning of my strength,

excelling in honor,

excelling in power.

4Uncontrolled as the waters,

you will no longer excel,

because you went up to your father’s bed,

onto my couch, and defiled it.

5Simeon (heard) and Levi (joined to) are brothers;

their swords (dwelling places)a are weapons of violence.

6May I never enter their council;

may I never join their assembly.

For they kill men in their anger,

and hamstring oxen on a whim.

7Cursed be their anger, for it is strong,

and their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will disperse them in Jacob (he grasps the heel)

and scatter them in Israel (he wrestles with God).

8Judah (praised),b your brothers shall praise you.

Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies;

your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

9Judah (praised) is a young lion—

my son, you return from the prey.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down;

like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

10The scepter will not depart from Judah (praised),

nor the staff from between his feet (from his descendants),c

until Shiloh (until the one to whom tribute belongs)d comes

and the allegiance of the nations is his.

11He ties his donkey to the vine,

his colt to the choicest branch.

He washes his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth are whiter than milk.

13Zebulun (exalted) shall dwell by the seashore

and become a harbor for ships;

his border shall extend to Sidon (hunting).

14Issachar (there is recompense) is a strong donkey,

lying down between the sheepfolds (saddlebags).e

15He saw that his resting place was good

and that his land was pleasant,

so he bent his shoulder to the burden

and submitted to labor as a servant.

16Dan (He has judged) shall provide justice for his peoplef

as one of the tribes of Israel (he wrestles with God).

17He (He has judged) will be a snake by the road,

a viper in the path

that bites the horse’s heels

so that its rider tumbles backward.

18I await Your salvation, O LORD {YHWH}.

19Gad (band of raiders)g will be attacked by raiders,

but he will attack their heels.

20Asher’s (happy) food will be rich;

he shall provide royal delicacies.

21Naphtali (wrestling) is a doe set free

that bears beautiful fawns (gives beautiful words).h

22Joseph (YHWH has added) is a fruitful vine—

a fruitful vine by a spring,

whose branches scale the wall.i

23The archers attacked him with bitterness;

they aimed at him in hostility.

24Yet he steadied his bow,

and his strong arms were tempered

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (he grasps the heel),

in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel (he wrestles with God),

25by the God of your father who helps you,

and by the Almighty {Shaddai}j who blesses you,

with blessings of the heavens above,

with blessings of the depths below,

with blessings of the breasts and womb.

26The blessings of your father have surpassed

the blessings of the ancient mountains (of my ancestors)k

and the bounty of the everlasting hills.

May they rest on the head of Joseph (YHWH has added),

on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

27Benjamin (son of the right hand) is a ravenous wolf;

in the morning he devours the prey,

in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28These are the tribes of Israel (he wrestles with God), twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

The Death of Jacob

29Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron (fawn-like) the Hittite. 30The cave is in the field of Machpelah (double) near Mamre (strength / fatness), in the land of Canaan (lowland). This is the field Abraham (father of many) purchased from Ephron (fawn-like) the Hittite as a burial site. 31There Abraham (father of many) and his wife Sarah (princess) are buried, there Isaac (he laughs) and his wife Rebekah (ensnarer) are buried, and there I buried Leah (weary). 32The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites (terror).”

33When Jacob (he grasps the heel) had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.