King
James Version
The Book of Genesis
Chapter 49
Jacob's last words
Jacob called all of his sons together to tell them about the future.
1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together,
that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken
unto Israel your father.The first son was Reuben. Jacob remembered that
Reuben had sexual relations with Bilhah (the maid, who was the mother
of some of Jacob's other sons). He told Reuben that his family would
not be superior.
3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength,
the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to
thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.Simeon
and Levi sinned when they killed the men of Shechem. Jacob said they
would be scattered--they and their children would not live in one place.
5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their
habitations.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine
honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and
in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it
was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
Judah was compared to a lion. Jacob said his family would be leaders.
8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall
be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down
before thee.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up:
he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall
rouse him up?
10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between
his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the
people be.
11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice
vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of
grapes:
12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.Zebulon
was next. Jacob said his family would live near the sea.
13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for
an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.Issachar's family
was compared to a donkey because his people worked very hard.
14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant;
and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. Dan's
family would be judges.
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth
the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.Gad's family would be brave
soldiers.
19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.Asher's
family would be farmers and provide good food.
20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
Naphtali would be fast and good with speaking.
21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.Joseph's family
would have many people. Jacob gave a short history of Joseph. He had
been treated bad, but he remained strong. Joseph always followed and
obeyed God.
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose
branches run over the wall:
23The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made
strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the
shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty,
who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the
deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
26The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of
my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they
shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him
that was separate from his brethren.Benjamin's family would be fighters.
27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the
prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their
father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his
blessing he blessed them.
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