Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

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

1Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.

2Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

2"Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to Israel your father.

3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

3"Reuben, you are my firstborn; My might and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent 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.

4"Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, Because you went up to your father's bed; Then you defiled it-- he went up to my couch.

5Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.

5"Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements 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.

6"Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

7Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

7"Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.

8Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

8"Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's sons shall bow down to you.

9Judah 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?

9"Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?

10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

10"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

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.

11"He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

12"His eyes are dull from wine, And his teeth white from milk.

13Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.

13"Zebulun will dwell at the seashore; And he shall be a haven for ships, And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.

14"Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between the sheepfolds.

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.

15"When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, And became a slave at forced labor.

16Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

16"Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

17He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

17"Dan shall be a serpent in the way, A horned snake in the path, That bites the horse's heels, So that his rider falls backward.

18I await Your salvation, O LORD.

18"For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.

19Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels.

19"As for Gad, raiders shall raid him, But he will raid at their heels.

20Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies.

20"As for Asher, his food shall be rich, And he will yield royal dainties.

21Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.

21"Naphtali is a doe let loose, He gives beautiful words.

22Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.

22"Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall.

23The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.

23"The archers bitterly attacked him, And shot at him and harassed him;

24Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

24But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

25by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you, with blessings of the heavens above, with blessings of the depths below, with blessings of the breasts and womb.

25From the God of your father who helps you, And by the Almighty who blesses you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

26"The blessings of your father Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; May they be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

27Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”

27"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoil."

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

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him.

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 the Hittite.

29Then he charged them and said to them, "I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

30in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site.

31There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.

31"There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah--

32The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

32the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth."

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

33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

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