Jacob Gives Blessings to His Sons
1Then Jacob sent for his sons. He said, “Gather around me so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2“Sons of Jacob, come together and listen.
Listen to your father Israel.
3“Reuben, you are my oldest son.
You were my first child. You were the first sign of my strength.
You were first in honor. You were first in power.
4But you are as unsteady as water. So you won’t be first anymore.
You had sex with my concubine on my bed.
You lay on my couch and made it ‘unclean.’
5“Simeon and Levi are brothers.
Their swords have killed a lot of people.
6I won’t share in their plans.
I won’t have anything to do with them.
They became angry and killed people.
They cut the legs of oxen just for the fun of it.
7May the Lord put a curse on them
because of their terrible anger.
I will scatter them in Jacob’s land.
I will spread them around in Israel.
8“Judah, your brothers will praise you.
Your enemies will be brought under your control.
Your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9Judah, you are like a lion’s cub.
You return from hunting, my son.
Like a lion, you lie down and sleep.
You are like a mother lion. Who dares to wake you up?
10The right to rule will not leave Judah.
The ruler’s scepter will not be taken from between his feet.
It will be his until the king it belongs to will come.
The nations will obey that king.
11He will tie his donkey to a vine.
He will tie his colt to the very best branch.
He will wash his clothes in wine.
He will wash his robes in the red juice of grapes.
12His eyes will be darker than wine.
His teeth will be whiter than milk.
13“Zebulun will live by the seashore.
He will become a safe harbor for ships.
His border will go out toward Sidon.
14“Issachar is like a wild donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.
15He sees how good his resting place is.
He sees that his land is pleasant.
So he will carry a heavy load on his back.
He will obey when he’s forced to work.
16“Dan will do what is fair for his people.
He will do it as one of the tribes of Israel.
17Dan will be a snake by the side of the road.
He will be a poisonous snake along the path.
It bites the horse’s heels
so that the rider falls off backward.
18“Lord, I look to you to save me.
19“Gad will be attacked by a group of robbers.
But he will attack them as they run away.
20“Asher’s food will be rich and sweet.
He will provide food that even a king would enjoy.
21“Naphtali is a female deer set free
and gives birth to beautiful fawns.
22“Joseph is a vine that grows a lot of fruit.
It grows close by a spring.
Its branches climb over a wall.
23Mean people shot arrows at him.
They shot at him because they were angry.
24But his bow remained steady.
His strong arms moved freely.
The hand of the Mighty God of Jacob was with him.
The Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, stood by him.
25Joseph, your father’s God helps you.
The Mighty God blesses you.
He gives you blessings from the sky above.
He gives you blessings from the deep springs below.
He blesses you with children and with a mother’s milk.
26Your father’s blessings are great.
They are greater than the blessings from the age-old mountains.
They are greater than the gifts from the ancient hills.
Let all those blessings rest on the head of Joseph.
Let them rest on the head of the one who is prince among his brothers.
27“Benjamin is a hungry wolf.
In the morning he eats what he has killed.
In the evening he shares what he has stolen.”
28All these are the 12 tribes of Israel. That’s what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each one the blessing that was just right for him.
Jacob Dies
29Then Jacob gave directions to his sons. He said, “I’m about to join the members of my family who have already died. Bury me with them in the cave in the field of Ephron, the Hittite. 30The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in Canaan. Abraham had bought it as a place where he could bury his wife’s body. He had bought the cave and the field from Ephron, the Hittite. 31The bodies of Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there. So were the bodies of Isaac and his wife Rebekah. I also buried Leah’s body there. 32Abraham bought the field and the cave from the Hittites.”
33When Jacob had finished telling his sons what to do, he pulled his feet up into his bed. Then he took his last breath and died. He joined the members of his family who had already died.
雅各的预言
1雅各把他的儿子们都叫来，对他们说：“你们到我身边来，我要把你们将来的遭遇告诉你们。
2“雅各的儿子们啊，
你们都来听，
听你们父亲以色列的话。
3吕便啊，你是我的长子，
是我年轻力壮时生的，
比众弟兄更有尊荣和力量。
4可是，你必不再居首位，
因为你放纵情欲，
如沸腾不止的水，
你上了你父亲的床，
玷污了我的榻。
5“西缅和利未串通一气，
依仗刀剑，残暴不仁。
6我的灵啊，不要与他们同谋。
我的心啊，不要与他们联合。
他们泄愤杀人，
随意砍断牛腿的筋。
7他们狂暴凶残，该受咒诅！
我要使他们分散在雅各的子孙中，
散居在以色列各地。
8“犹大啊，你的兄弟们必赞美你，
你必制服你的仇敌，
你父亲的儿子必向你下拜。
9我儿犹大是头小狮子，
他猎食回来，躺卧如雄狮，
蹲伏如母狮，谁敢惊扰他？
10王权必不离犹大，
御杖必伴他左右，
直到那位执掌王权的来到，
万民都必归顺他。
11“他把小驴拴在葡萄树旁，
把驴驹拴在上好的葡萄树旁；
他在葡萄酒中洗衣服，
在葡萄汁中洗外袍。
12他的眼睛比酒乌润，
牙齿比奶洁白。
13“西布伦必安居在海滨，
成为泊船的港口，
他的疆界必伸展到西顿。
14“以萨迦是头壮驴，
卧在羊圈中。
15他见那地方好作安身之处，
地土肥美，就垂下肩头，
做了奴隶。
16“但必治理他的人民，
作以色列的一个支派。
17他必成为路边的蛇，
道旁的毒蛇，
咬伤马蹄，使骑马的人坠落。
18“耶和华啊，
我切切等候你的拯救。
19“迦得必被强盗劫掠，
他却要反败为胜追赶他们。
20“亚设必有丰美的出产和供君王享用的美味。
21“拿弗他利是头自由的母鹿，
养育美丽的小鹿49:21 “养育美丽的小鹿”或译“口出佳美之言”。。
22“约瑟是多结果子的枝条，
长在水泉旁，
他的枝条探出墙外。
23弓箭手凶猛地攻击他，
恶狠狠地射他。
24但他手持强弓，
双臂稳健有力，
因为雅各的大能者——以色列的牧者和磐石帮助他。
25你父亲的上帝必帮助你，
全能者必赐你天上的恩泽、
地上的百福，
使你子孙兴旺、牛羊满圈。
26你父亲的祝福高过亘古永存的峰峦，
多如绵延无尽的群山，
愿这一切的祝福都临到约瑟头上，
临到这超越众弟兄的人身上。
27“便雅悯是匹贪婪的狼，
早晨吞吃猎物，
晚上瓜分战利品。”
28以上是以色列的十二支派，他们的父亲按着他们不同的福分给他们祝福。 29雅各又嘱咐他们说：“我要离世了，你们要把我葬在赫人以弗仑田间的洞里，让我与祖先在一起。 30那洞穴在迦南幔利附近的麦比拉田间，是亚伯拉罕向赫人以弗仑买来作坟地的。 31亚伯拉罕和他的妻子撒拉，以撒和他的妻子利百加都葬在那里，我把利亚也葬在了那里。 32那块田和田间的洞穴是向赫人买的。” 33雅各嘱咐完众子，在床上躺下，咽了气，去他祖先那里了。
