A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Genesis 49
Genesis 49 is the forty-ninth chapter of the book of Genesis and Jacob's poetic blessing on his twelve sons. The 33-verse chapter is the longest sustained poem in the book and includes some of the most-quoted Old Testament lines about the tribes of Israel, the line of Judah, and the messianic scepter. It closes with Jacob's death.
The chapter opens with Jacob calling his sons together. "Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come. Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel." He then addresses each son in birth order, framing his blessing as both a tribal destiny and a verdict on the son himself.
Reuben, the firstborn, is named with honor: "my might, and the beginning of my strength." But he will no longer excel, because he went up to his father's bed and defiled it.
Simeon and Levi together are denounced for the violence at Shechem. Their swords are weapons of violence; they killed men in anger and hamstrung oxen on a whim. Their anger is cursed for its strength, and their wrath for its cruelty. Jacob says he will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
Judah is praised at length. His brothers will praise him; his hand will be on the necks of his enemies; his father's sons will bow down to him. He is a young lion, crouched and unrousable like a lioness. Jacob then gives the lines that the rest of the Bible will refer back to: "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." He ties his donkey to the vine, washes his garments in wine, has eyes darker than wine and teeth whiter than milk.
Zebulun will dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships, with his border extending to Sidon.
Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds, who sees that his resting place is good and bends his shoulder to the burden.
Dan will provide justice for his people, but will also be a snake by the road and a viper in the path that bites the horse's heels so its rider falls back. In the middle of Dan's blessing Jacob breaks off and says, "I await Your salvation, O LORD."
Gad will be attacked by raiders but will attack their heels.
Asher's food will be rich; he will provide royal delicacies.
Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
Joseph receives the longest blessing after Judah. He is a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall. Archers attacked him with bitterness, but his bow stayed steady, his arms made strong by the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, by the Almighty who blesses with blessings of the heavens above, the depths below, and the breasts and womb. May those blessings rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.
Benjamin closes the list: a ravenous wolf who devours the prey in the morning and divides the plunder in the evening.
The chapter then notes that these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and that each son received the blessing suited to him. Jacob then turns to practical instruction. He tells his sons to bury him with his fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, at Machpelah near Mamre in Canaan, where Abraham and Sarah are buried, where Isaac and Rebekah are buried, and where he himself buried Leah. The field and the cave were purchased from the Hittites.
When Jacob has finished speaking, he pulls his feet into the bed, breathes his last, and is gathered to his people.
Verse 1. 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:
Verse 2. Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.
Verse 3. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
Verse 4. Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch, and defiled it.
Verse 5. Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.
Verse 6. 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.
Verse 7. 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.
Verse 8. 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.
Verse 9. 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?
Verse 10. 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.
Verse 11. 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.
Verse 12. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.
Verse 13. Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.
Verse 14. Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.
Verse 15. 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.
Verse 16. Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
Verse 17. 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.
Verse 18. I await Your salvation, O LORD.
Verse 19. Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels.
Verse 20. Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies.
Verse 21. Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
Verse 22. Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.
Verse 23. The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.
Verse 24. 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,
Verse 25. 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.
Verse 26. 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.
Verse 27. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”
Verse 28. 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.
Verse 29. 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.
Verse 30. 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.
Verse 31. There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.
Verse 32. The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”
Verse 33. 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.
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