| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Then Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather around, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the days to come. | 1Jacob called for his sons and said, "Gather together so I can tell you what will happen to you in the future. |
| 2Come together and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel: | 2"Assemble and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father. |
| 3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the firstfruits of my virility, excelling in prominence, excelling in power. | 3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power. |
| 4Turbulent as water, you will no longer excel, because you got into your father's bed and you defiled it--he got into my bed. | 4You are destructive like water and will not excel, for you got on your father's bed, then you defiled it--he got on my couch! |
| 5Simeon and Levi are brothers; their knives are vicious weapons. | 5Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their knives! |
| 6May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For in their anger they kill men, and on a whim they hamstring oxen. | 6O my soul, do not come into their council, do not be united to their assembly, my heart, for in their anger they have killed men, and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen. |
| 7Their anger is cursed, for it is strong, and their fury, for it is cruel! I will disperse them throughout Jacob and scatter them throughout Israel. | 7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their fury, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel! |
| 8Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. | 8Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father's sons will bow down before you. |
| 9Judah is a young lion-- my son, you return from the kill. He crouches; he lies down like a lion or a lioness--who dares to rouse him? | 9You are a lion's cub, Judah, from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches and lies down like a lion; like a lioness--who will rouse him? |
| 10The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until He whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to Him. | 10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; the nations will obey him. |
| 11He ties his donkey to a vine, and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine and his robes in the blood of grapes. | 11Binding his foal to the vine, and his colt to the choicest vine, he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. |
| 12His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk. | 12His eyes will be dark from wine, and his teeth white from milk. |
| 13Zebulun will live by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships, and his territory will be next to Sidon. | 13Zebulun will live by the haven of the sea and become a haven for ships; his border will extend to Sidon. |
| 14Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the saddlebags. | 14Issachar is a strong-boned donkey lying down between two saddlebags. |
| 15He saw that his resting place was good and that the land was pleasant, so he leaned his shoulder to bear a load and became a forced laborer. | 15When he sees a good resting place, and the pleasant land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and become a slave laborer. |
| 16Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. | 16Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. |
| 17He will be a snake by the road, a viper beside the path, that bites the horses' heels so that its rider falls backward. | 17May Dan be a snake beside the road, a viper by the path, that bites the heels of the horse so that its rider falls backward. |
| 18I wait for Your salvation, LORD. | 18I wait for your deliverance, O LORD. |
| 19Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels. | 19Gad will be raided by marauding bands, but he will attack them at their heels. |
| 20Asher's food will be rich, and he will produce royal delicacies. | 20Asher's food will be rich, and he will provide delicacies to royalty. |
| 21Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. | 21Naphtali is a free running doe, he speaks delightful words. |
| 22Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine beside a spring; its branches climb over the wall. | 22Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough near a spring whose branches climb over the wall. |
| 23The archers attacked him, shot at him, and were hostile toward him. | 23The archers will attack him, they will shoot at him and oppose him. |
| 24Yet his bow remained steady, and his strong arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, | 24But his bow will remain steady, and his hands will be skillful; because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, |
| 25by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and the womb. | 25because of the God of your father, who will help you, because of the sovereign God, who will bless you with blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and womb. |
| 26The blessings of your father excel the blessings of my ancestors and the bounty of the eternal hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the prince of his brothers. | 26The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains or the desirable things of the age-old hills. They will be on the head of Joseph and on the brow of the prince of his brothers. |
| 27Benjamin is a wolf; he tears his prey. In the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the plunder." | 27Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning devouring the prey, and in the evening dividing the plunder." |
| 28These are the tribes of Israel, 12 in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing. | 28These are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each of them an appropriate blessing. |
| 29Then he commanded them: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. | 29Then he instructed them, "I am about to go to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. |
| 30The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. | 30It is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought for a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. |
| 31Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there, and I buried Leah there. | 31There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and there I buried Leah. |
| 32The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hittites." | 32The field and the cave in it were acquired from the sons of Heth." |
| 33When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and died. He was gathered to his people. | 33When Jacob finished giving these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last breath, and went to his people. |
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