1And Jacob called for his sons, and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what shall befall you in the days to come. 2Assemble, and listen, you sons of Jacob, to Israel, your father.

3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellence of dignity and power: 4Turbulent and unstable as water, you shall no longer be first; because you went up to your father's bed and then defiled my marriage couch (Gen.35:22).

5“Simeon and Levi are much the same; cruelty is in their swords. 6May I never be a party to their plans; for in their anger they killed men (Gen.34:25), and ham-strung oxen on a whim. 7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and it was cruel: I will scatter them in Jacob, and disperse them in Israel.

8“Judah, your brothers shall praise and bow down before you. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. 9Judah is a lion's cub returning from the prey, my son, you crouch like a lion, like a lioness. Who dares to rouse him? 10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from his descendants, until the coming of the One to Whom it belongs; and to Him shall the gathering of the people be. 11He will tether his foal to a vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 12His eyes shall be darker than wine, and his teeth white as milk.

13“Zebulun shall dwell by the edge of the sea; and be a haven for ships; and his border shall extend to Sidon.

14“Issachar is a sturdy donkey resting between two saddle packs. 15When he sees how good is his resting place, and how pleasant is his land; he will bend his shoulder to bear the burden, and submits to forced labor.

16“Dan shall provide justice to his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17Dan will be a snake by the roadside, an adder in the path, that bites the heels of the horse, so that his rider is thrown off backward.

18“I wait for Thy salvation, O LORD.

19“Gad shall be attacked by raiders; but he shall prevail in the end.

20“Asher will dine on rich foods and produce, and yield royal dainties.

21“Naphtali is a doe set loose that bears beautiful fawns.

22“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring; whose branches run over the wall: 23The archers have harassed him, and shot at him in hatred. 24But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty God of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, 25Because of the God of your father, Who shall help you - the Almighty, Who shall bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26The blessings of your father have exceeded the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the beauty of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and crown the head of him that was separated from his brothers.

27“Benjamin is like a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he divides the plunder.”

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is what their father said when he blessed them; giving each one his appropriate blessing.

29And then he gave them these instructions: “I am to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron, the Hittite, 30In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is near Mamre, in the land of Canaan - the field of Ephron, the Hittite, which Abraham bought from Ephron as a possession for a burying place. 31There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife; and there I buried Leah. 32The purchase of the field and the cave that is in it was from the descendants of Heth.” 33And when Jacob had finished his instructions to his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed, and died, and was gathered to his people.