雅各的預言
1雅各把他的兒子們都叫來，對他們說：「你們到我身邊來，我要把你們將來的遭遇告訴你們。
2「雅各的兒子們啊，
你們都來聽，
聽你們父親以色列的話。
3呂便啊，你是我的長子，
是我年輕力壯時生的，
比眾弟兄更有尊榮和力量。
4可是，你必不再居首位，
因為你放縱情慾，
如沸騰不止的水，
你上了你父親的床，
玷污了我的榻。
5「西緬和利未串通一氣，
依仗刀劍，殘暴不仁。
6我的靈啊，不要與他們同謀。
我的心啊，不要與他們聯合。
他們洩憤殺人，
隨意砍斷牛腿的筋。
7他們狂暴兇殘，該受咒詛！
我要使他們分散在雅各的子孫中，
散居在以色列各地。
8「猶大啊，你的兄弟們必讚美你，
你必制伏你的仇敵，
你父親的兒子必向你下拜。
9我兒猶大是頭小獅子，
他獵食回來，躺臥如雄獅，
蹲伏如母獅，誰敢驚擾他？
10王權必不離猶大，
御杖必伴他左右，
直到那位執掌王權的來到，
萬民都必歸順他。
11「他把小驢拴在葡萄樹旁，
把驢駒拴在上好的葡萄樹旁；
他在葡萄酒中洗衣服，
在葡萄汁中洗外袍。
12他的眼睛比酒烏潤，
牙齒比奶潔白。
13「西布倫必安居在海濱，
成為泊船的港口，
他的疆界必伸展到西頓。
14「以薩迦是頭壯驢，
臥在羊圈中。
15他見那地方好作安身之處，
地土肥美，就垂下肩頭，
做了奴隸。
16「但必治理他的人民，
作以色列的一個支派。
17他必成為路邊的蛇，
道旁的毒蛇，
咬傷馬蹄，使騎馬的人墜落。
18「耶和華啊，
我切切等候你的拯救。
19「迦得必被強盜劫掠，
他卻要反敗為勝追趕他們。
20「亞設必有豐美的出產和供君王享用的美味。
21「拿弗他利是頭自由的母鹿，
養育美麗的小鹿49·21 「養育美麗的小鹿」或譯「口出佳美之言」。。
22「約瑟是多結果子的枝條，
長在水泉旁，
他的枝條探出牆外。
23弓箭手兇猛地攻擊他，
惡狠狠地射他。
24但他手持強弓，
雙臂穩健有力，
因為雅各的大能者——以色列的牧者和磐石幫助他。
25你父親的上帝必幫助你，
全能者必賜你天上的恩澤、
地上的百福，
使你子孫興旺、牛羊滿圈。
26你父親的祝福高過亙古永存的峰巒，
多如綿延無盡的群山，
願這一切的祝福都臨到約瑟頭上，
臨到這超越眾弟兄的人身上。
27「便雅憫是匹貪婪的狼，
早晨吞吃獵物，
晚上瓜分戰利品。」
28以上是以色列的十二支派，他們的父親按著他們不同的福分給他們祝福。 29雅各又囑咐他們說：「我要離世了，你們要把我葬在赫人以弗崙田間的洞裡，讓我與祖先在一起。 30那洞穴在迦南幔利附近的麥比拉田間，是亞伯拉罕向赫人以弗崙買來作墳地的。 31亞伯拉罕和他的妻子撒拉，以撒和他的妻子利百加都葬在那裡，我把利亞也葬在了那裡。 32那塊田和田間的洞穴是向赫人買的。」 33雅各囑咐完眾子，在床上躺下，嚥了氣，去他祖先那裡了。
Jacob blesses his sons
1Then Jacob called for his sons and said: ‘Gather round so that I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2‘Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.
3‘Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honour, excelling in power.
4Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.
5‘Simeon and Levi are brothers –
their swords49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. are weapons of violence.
6Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.
8‘Judah,49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise. your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9You are a lion’s cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness – who dares to rouse him?
10The sceptre will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,49:10 Or from his descendants
until he to whom it belongs49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
12His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk
13‘Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend towards Sidon.
14‘Issachar is a scrawny49:14 Or strong donkey
lying down among the sheepfolds.49:14 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
15When he sees how good is his resting-place
and how pleasant is his land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and submit to forced labour.
16‘Dan49:16 Dan here means he provides justice. will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17Dan will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backwards.
18‘I look for your deliverance, Lord.
19‘Gad49:19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders. will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.
20‘Asher’s food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.
21‘Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.49:21 Or free; / he utters beautiful words
22‘Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.49:22 Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill
23With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
24But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed49:23,24 Or archers will attack… will shoot… will remain… will stay supple,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25because of your father’s God, who helps you,
because of the Almighty,49:25 Hebrew Shaddai who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below,
blessings of the breast and womb.
26Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than49:26 Or of my progenitors, / as great as the bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among49:26 Or of the one separated from his brothers.
27‘Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder.’
28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.
The death of Jacob
29Then he gave them these instructions: ‘I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 31There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.49:32 Or the descendants of Heth’
33When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
