49
(4) 1 Jacob [Supplanter] called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.
2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob [Supplanter].
Sh'ma ·Hear obey· unto Israel [God prevails], your father.
3 “Reuben [See, a son!], you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength;
excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
4 Boiling over like water, you shall not excel;
because you went up to your father’s bed,
then defiled it. He went up to my couch.
5 “Simeon [Hearing] and Levi [United with] are brothers.
Their swords are weapons of violence.
6 My soul, don’t come into their council.
My glory, don’t be united to their assembly;
for in their anger they killed men.
In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;
and their wrath, for it was cruel.
I will divide them in Jacob [Supplanter],
and scatter them in Israel [God prevails].
8 “Judah [Praised], your brothers will yadah ·extend hands in thankful praise· to you.
Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies.
Your father’s sons will bow down before you.
9 Judah [Praised] is a lion’s cub.
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down, he crouched as a lion,
as a lioness.
Who will rouse him up?
10 *The scepter will not depart from Judah [Praised],
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
†until Shiloh [Him to whom obedience belongs].
To him will the obedience of the peoples be.
11 Binding his foal to the vine,
his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;
he has washed his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes will be red with wine,
his teeth white with milk.
13 “Zebulun [Living together] will dwell at the haven of the sea.
He will be for a haven of ships.
His border will be on Sidon.
14 “Issachar [Hire, Reward] is a strong donkey,
lying down between the saddlebags.
15 He saw a resting place, that it was good,
the land, that it was pleasant.
He bows his shoulder to the burden,
and becomes a servant doing forced labor.
16 “Dan [He judged] will judge his people,
as one of the tribes of Israel [God prevails].
17 Dan [He judged] will be a serpent on the trail,
an adder in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
so that his rider falls backward.
18 I have waited for your yishu'ah ·salvation·, Adonai.
(5) 19 “A troop will press on Gad [Good fortune],
but he will press on their heel.
20 “Asher [Happy]’s food will be rich.
He will produce royal dainties.
21 “Naphtali [My wrestling] is a doe set free,
who bears beautiful fawns.
22 “Joseph [May he add] is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine by a spring.
His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have severely grieved him,
shot at him, and persecute him:
24 But his bow remained strong.
The arms of his hands were made strong,
by the hands of the 'Avir Ya'akov [Mighty One of Supplanter],
(from there is the Ro'i [Shepherd Provider], the 'Even Isra'el [Stone of God prevails]),
25 even by the God of your father, who will help you;
by Shaddai [Almighty], who will bless you,
with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that lies below,
blessings of the breasts, and of the rachamim ·womb of compassionate loves·.
26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors,
above the boundaries of the ancient hills.
They will be on the head of Joseph [May he add],
on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.
(6) 27 “Benjamin [Son of right hand, Son of south] is a ravenous wolf.
In the morning he will devour the prey.
At evening he will divide the plunder.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel [God prevails], and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing. 29 He enjoined them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron [Fawn-like] the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear], 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah [Double], which is before Mamre [Bitter, Fatness], in the land of Canaan [Humbled], which Abraham [Father of a multitude] bought with the field from Ephron [Fawn-like] the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear] as a burial place. 31 There they buried Abraham [Father of a multitude] and Sarah [Princess], his wife. There they buried Isaac [Laughter] and Rebekah [Securely bound], his wife, and there I buried Leah [Weary]: 32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth [Trembling fear].” 33 When Jacob [Supplanter] finished enjoining words to his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.
* 49:10 a MP: King Messiah is a descendant of Judah. (Matt 1:2; Luke 3:33) † 49:10 b MP: When Messiah comes, then Judah will lose power and leadership, represented by the scepter. (John 18:31)