Genesis 49

And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Jacob summoned his sons, his voice heavy with urgency, "Come close, my sons. I need to share with you what the future holds in its final days."

Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

Come together, children of Jacob, and listen closely to the wisdom of your father, Israel.

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

Reuben, you're my firstborn, my strength's origin, my dignity's peak, and my power's pinnacle.

Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

You're as unpredictable as water, and you will no longer hold first place. For you climbed into your father's bed and defiled it; you dared to get into my own bed.

Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

Simeon and Levi, brothers bound by blood, harbor tools of violence within their homes.

O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

Dear soul, avoid their secrets and gatherings; don't let your dignity join them. Their anger led to murder, and their stubbornness tore down walls.

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Cursed be their anger, so intense and harsh, and their fury, so brutal! I will separate them within Jacob's people and disperse them throughout Israel.

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.

Judah, your brothers will admire and honor you. You will overcome your enemies, and even your own family will show you respect.

Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

Judah, my son, is like a young lion, rising from his hunt. He rests and watches, powerful and majestic as a mature lion. Who dares to disturb his peace?

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Judah will always hold power and authority, until the arrival of the Peacemaker. Then, all people will unite under his leadership.

Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

He tethered his young donkey to the lush vine, his donkey's colt to the choicest vine. He cleansed his clothes, not in water, but in rich wine and the deep red juice of grapes.

His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

His gaze will glow from the wine's influence, and his smile will gleam, pure as milk.

Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

Zebulun will live by the sea, a safe harbor for ships, extending his territory to Zidon.

Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:

Issachar is like a sturdy donkey, resting wearily between heavy loads.

And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

He realized the beauty of rest and the charm of the land. So he bent his shoulder to the load and submitted to forced labor as a servant.

Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

Dan will fairly lead his people, standing equal among Israel's tribes.

Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

Dan will be like a hidden snake, a viper on the journey, striking unexpectedly at the horse's heels, causing its rider to tumble backwards.

I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.

With eager anticipation, I've yearned for your rescue, O LORD.

Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

Gad will face a fierce battle and seem defeated, but in the end, he will triumph.

Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

Asher will be blessed with abundant food, and he will provide exquisite delicacies fit for a king.

Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

Naphtali is like a free-spirited deer: he speaks with beautiful, inspiring words.

Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

Joseph is like a thriving tree, planted by a nourishing spring, its branches reaching beyond the wall, flourishing with abundance.

The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

The archers have deeply wounded him, targeted him, and despised him.

But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

His bow remained powerful, his arms strengthened by the mighty God of Jacob, who is the shepherd, the rock of Israel.

Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

Trust in the God of your ancestors, who will always support you. The Almighty will shower you with blessings from the heavens above, the depths below, and the joys of family and fertility.

The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

Your father's blessings have surpassed those of your ancestors, reaching as far as the eternal hills. They will rest upon Joseph, the one set apart from his brothers, like a crown upon his head.

Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

Benjamin will be fierce like a wolf, hunting his prey at dawn and sharing his victories at dusk.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

These are the twelve families of Israel, each blessed by their father. He spoke to them, giving each a unique blessing.

And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

He instructed them with a heavy heart, "Soon, I'll join our ancestors. Lay me to rest beside my fathers in the cave on Ephron the Hittite's land."

In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.

In the heart of Canaan, before Mamre, lies a cave in the field of Machpelah. This is where Abraham, filled with sorrow, purchased land from Ephron the Hittite, creating a sacred resting place for his loved ones.

There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

In that sacred ground, Abraham was laid to rest next to his beloved Sarah; Isaac found his eternal rest beside his dear Rebekah; and it was there, I tearfully said my final goodbye to Leah.

The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.

The children of Heth sold the field and the cave within it.

And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

After giving his final instructions to his sons, Jacob drew his legs onto the bed, took his last breath, and peacefully joined his ancestors in the afterlife.