Genesis 49 – NIrV & CCBT

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.

Chinese Contemporary Bible 2023 (Traditional)

創世記 49:1-33

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,

你們要聚在一起聽,

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,

卓有尊榮和力量。

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西緬利未是兄弟,

他們依仗刀劍,殘暴不仁。

6我的靈不可與他們同謀。

我的心不可與他們聯合。

他們洩憤殺人,

隨意砍斷牛腿的筋。

7他們狂怒兇殘,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,

你的手必掐住仇敵的頸項,

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權杖必不離猶大

御杖必伴他左右,

直到執掌王權的那位來到,

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,

他的牙齒比奶潔白。

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,

做了苦役。

16必治理他的人民,

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,

因為雅各的大能者出手相助,

祂是以色列的牧者和磐石。

25你父親的上帝必幫助你,

全能者必賜你天上的福氣、

地下深淵蘊藏的福氣,

使你子孫興旺、牛羊滿圈。

26你父親的祝福高過亙古的峰巒,

多如永存的群山,

願這一切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人買的。」 33雅各囑咐完眾子,把腳收到床上,嚥了氣,歸到他祖先那裡。