Jacob Blesses His Sons 1 UEB Then Jacob called for his sons, and said: "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what will happen to you in the future. BSB BSB: Then 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:
2 UEB Assemble yourselves and listen, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father. BSB BSB: Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.
3 UEB Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, outstanding in dignity, and outstanding in power. BSB BSB: Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 UEB Uncontrollable as rushing water, you will not have the preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed. Then you defiled it; you went up to my couch. BSB BSB: Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch, and defiled it.
5 UEB Simeon and Levi are brothers. Weapons of violence are their swords. BSB BSB: Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.
6 UEB O my soul, do not come into their council; do not join in their meetings, for my heart has too much honor for that. For in their anger they killed men. It was for pleasure that they hamstrung oxen. BSB BSB: May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim.
7 UEB May their anger be cursed, for it was fierce—and their fury, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. BSB BSB: Cursed 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.
8 UEB Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down before you. BSB BSB: Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
9 UEB Judah is a lion's cub. My son, you have gone up from your victims. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, like a lioness. Who would dare to awaken him? BSB BSB: Judah 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?
10 UEB The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes. The nations will obey him. BSB BSB: The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.
11 UEB Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, and his robe in the blood of grapes. BSB BSB: He 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.
12 UEB His eyes will be as dark as wine, and his teeth as white as milk. BSB BSB: His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.
13 UEB Zebulun will live by the shore of the sea. He will be a harbor for ships, and his border will extend to Sidon. BSB BSB: Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.
14 UEB Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds. BSB BSB: Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.
15 UEB He sees a good resting place and the pleasant land. He will bend his shoulder to the burden and become a servant for the task. BSB BSB: He 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.
16 UEB Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. BSB BSB: Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 UEB Dan will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous snake in the path that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward. BSB BSB: He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.
18 UEB I wait for your salvation, Yahweh. BSB BSB: I await Your salvation, O LORD.
19 UEB Gad—raiders will attack him, but he will attack them at their heels. BSB BSB: Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels.
20 UEB Asher's food will be rich, and he will provide royal delicacies. BSB BSB: Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies.
21 UEB Naphtali is a doe let loose; he will have beautiful fawns. BSB BSB: Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
22 UEB Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough near a spring, whose branches climb over the wall. BSB BSB: Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.
23 UEB The archers will attack him and shoot at him and harass him. BSB BSB: The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.
24 UEB But his bow will remain steady, and his hands will be skillful because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. BSB BSB: Yet 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,
25 UEB The God of your father will help you and the Almighty God will bless you with blessings of the sky above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, and blessings of the breasts and womb. BSB BSB: by 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.
26 UEB The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains or the desirable things of the ancient hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, even upon the crown of the head of the prince of his brothers. BSB BSB: The 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.
27 UEB Benjamin is a hungry wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey, and in the evening he will divide the plunder." BSB BSB: Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”
28 UEB These are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. Each one he blessed with an appropriate blessing. BSB BSB: These 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.
The Death of Jacob 29 UEB Then he instructed them and said to them, "I am about to go to my people. Bury me with my forefathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, BSB BSB: Then 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.
30 UEB in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is near Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought for a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. BSB BSB: The 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.
31 UEB There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. BSB BSB: There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.
32 UEB The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the people of Heth." BSB BSB: The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”
33 UEB When Jacob finished these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and went to his people. BSB BSB: When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.