Genesis 49 – NIRV & JCB

New International Reader’s Version

Genesis 49:1-33

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.

18Lord, 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.

Japanese Contemporary Bible

創世記 49:1-33

49

ヤコブの祝福

1いよいよ最期の時がきました。ヤコブは息子たちをみな呼び寄せました。「いいか、みんな私の回りに集まるのだ。一人一人の将来がどうなるか教えよう。 2おまえたちはみな、私の息子だ。これから言うことをよく注意して聞くのだよ。

3長男のルベン。おまえは私がまだ若く、血気盛んなころに生まれた子だ。長男として、あらゆる点で兄弟の上に立ってもよいはずだった。 4だが実際は、海の荒波のような無法者だ。長男の資格はない。義理の母と関係するとは何事だ。私の顔に泥を塗った報いを受けるがよい。

5シメオンとレビは似た者同士だ。乱暴で手がつけられない。 6くれぐれもこの二人には近づくな。その悪だくみに加担するな。彼らは怒りにまかせて人を殺し、おもしろ半分に牛を傷つけた。 7彼らの怒りにのろいあれ。激しく残虐な怒りにのろいあれ。二人の子孫は、イスラエルの各地に散らしてしまおう。

8ユダよ。兄弟はおまえをたたえる。おまえは敵を滅ぼし、兄弟はみなおまえにひざまずく。 9ユダは、獲物をたいらげる、たくましく成長した若いライオンだ。何ものをも恐れず、ゆうゆうと寝そべっている。だれも、これを起こすことはできない。あえてそんな危険を冒す者はいない。 10その王位はシロ(権威を持つ者、メシヤとも解される)が来る時まで続く。人々がみなシロに従うその時まで、ユダは安泰である。 11彼は大いに栄え、ろばをえり抜きのぶどうの木につなぎ、服をぶどう酒で洗う。 12その目はぶどう酒より黒く、その歯はミルクより白い。

13ゼブルンは海のそばに住む。港は船でにぎわい、境界線はシドンにまで及ぶ。

14イッサカルはたくましいろばだ。鞍袋の間にうずくまって休む。 15美しい田園、住みよい土地を見た時、彼は肩にくい込む重い荷をもいとわず、人に仕えることをも拒まない。

16ダンはほかの部族と同じように、自分の部族を治める。 17その数は少なくとも、小道をはい回る蛇のように、馬のかかとにかみつき、乗り手を落とす。 18主の救いは確実だ。

19ガドは強盗の一団に襲われる。だが奪い取るのはガドのほうで、敵をさんざんに追い散らす。

20アシェルは実り豊かな地を耕す。その産物は王の食卓にも上る。

21ナフタリは解き放たれた鹿で、かわいらしい子鹿を生む。

22ヨセフは泉のそばの実り豊かな木だ。その枝は伸びて垣根を覆う。 23一度は、迫害する者に矢を射込まれ、ひどい手傷を負った。 24だが、力あるヤコブの神、イスラエルを守る羊飼い、また岩である方のおかげで、みごと敵を打ち負かした。 25先祖代々にわたり頼ってきた全能の神が、天の恵みと地の恵みをもって、あなたを祝福なさるように。大ぜいの子孫に恵まれ、 26山々には穀物と花が満ち、永遠に変わらない祝福があるように。これが、かつて兄たちから追放されたヨセフの受ける祝福だ。

27ベニヤミンはほえたける狼だ。明け方には敵を食い荒らし、夕べには戦利品を分け合う。」 28こうして、彼らそれぞれにふさわしいことばで祝福を与えたのです。

ヤコブの死

29-30それから、こうつけ加えました。「私はじきに死ぬ。そうしたらカナンの地に葬ってくれ。マムレに面したマクペラの野にあるほら穴を知っているだろう。おまえたちのひいおじいさんのアブラハムが、墓地にしようとヘテ人エフロンから買ったあの土地だ。 31-32そこは一族の墓として代々使われ、私もレアをそこに葬った。よいか。私も必ずそこへ葬ってくれ。」 33ヤコブはもう思い残すことはないと、安心して床について息を引き取りました。