1 And Jacob called to his sons, and said, gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the latter days.
2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken to Israel your father.
3 Reuben, thou are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.
4 Boiling over as water, thou shall not have the pre-eminence, because thou went up to thy father's bed, then thou defiled it; he went up to my couch.
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their swords.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their council, to their assembly, my glory, be not thou united, for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they hocked an ox.
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.
8 Judah, thy brothers shall praise thee. Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies. Thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp. From the prey, my son, thou have gone up. He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him up?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and to him shall the obedience of the peoples be.
11 Binding his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for a haven of ships. And his border shall be upon Sidon.
14 Issachar is a strong donkey, couching down between the sheepfolds.
15 And he saw a resting place that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant. And he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant under task work.
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.
18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
19 Gad, a troop shall press upon him, but he shall press upon their heel.
20 Out of the Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
21 Naphtali is a hind let loose. He gives goodly words.
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a fountain, his branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and persecute him,
24 but his bow abode in strength. And the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there 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 couches beneath, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.
26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my forefathers to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his broth
27 Benjamin is a wolf that ravens. In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at evening he shall divide the spoil.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father spoke to them and blessed them; every man according to his blessing he blessed them.
29 And he ordered 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 the Hittite,
30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying place.
31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah,
32 the field and the cave that is in it, which was purchased from the sons of Heth.
33 And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.
1 And Iacob called for his sonnes ad sayde: come together that I maye tell you what shall happe you in the last dayes.
2 Gather you together and heare ye sonnes of Iacob and herken vnto Israel youre father.
3 Ruben thou art myne eldest sonne my myghte and the begynnynge of my strength chefe in receauynge and chefe in power.
4 As vnstable as water wast thou: thou shalt therfore not be the chefest for thou wenst vp vpo thy fathers bedd and than defyledest thou my couche with goynge vppe.
5 The brethern Simeon and Leui weked instrumentes are their wepos.
6 In to their secrettes come not my soule and vnto their congregation be my honoure not coupled: for in their wrath they slewe a man and in their selfewill they houghed an oxe.
7 Cursed be their wrath for it was stronge and their fearsnes for it was cruell. I will therfore deuyde them in Iacob and scater them in Israel.
8 Iuda thy brethern shall prayse the and thine hande shalbe in the necke of thyne enimies and thy fathers childern shall stoupe vnto the.
9 Iuda is a lions whelpe. Fro spoyle my sonne thou art come an hye: he layde him downe and couched himselfe as a lion and as a lionesse. Who dare stere him vp?
10 The sceptre shall not departe from Iuda nor a ruelar from betwene his legges vntill Silo come vnto whome the people shall herken.
11 He shall bynde his fole vnto the vine and his asses colt vnto the vyne braunche ad shall wash his garment in wyne and his mantell in the bloud of grapes
12 his eyes are roudier than wyne ad his teeth whitter then mylke.
13 Zabulon shall dwell in the hauen of the see and in the porte of shippes and shall reache vnto Sidon.
14 Isachar is a stronge asse he couched him doune betwene .ij. borders
15 and sawe that rest was good and the lande that it was pleasant and bowed his shulder to beare and became a servaunte vnto trybute.
16 Dan shall iudge his people as one of the trybes of Israel.
17 Dan shalbe a serpent in the waye and an edder in the path and byte the horse heles so yt his ryder shall fall backwarde,
18 After thy sauynge loke I LORde.
19 Gad men of warre shall invade him. And he shall turne them to flyght.
20 Off Asser cometh fatt breed and he shall geue pleasures for a kynge.
21 Nepthali is a swyft hynde ad geueth goodly wordes.
22 That florishynge childe Ioseph that florishing childe and goodly vn to the eye: the doughters come forth to bere ruele.
23 The shoters haue envyed him and chyde with him ad hated him
24 and yet his bowe bode fast and his armes and his handes were stronge by the handes of the myghtye God of Iacob: out of him shall come an herde ma a stone in Israel.
25 Thi fathers God shall helpe the and the almightie shall blesse the with blessinges from heaven aboue and with blessinges of the water that lieth vnder and with blessinges of the brestes and of the wombe.
26 The blessinges of thy father were stronge: euen as the blessinges of my elders after the desyre of the hiest in the worlde and these blessinges shall fall on the head of Ioseph and on the toppe of the head of him yt was separat from his brethern.
27 Ben Iamin is a raueshynge wolfe. In the mornynge be shall deuoure his praye ad at nyghte he shall deuyde his spoyle.
28 All these are the .xij. tribes of Israel and this is that which their father spake vnto them whe he blessed them euery man with a severall blessinge.
29 And he charged them and sayde vnto them. I shall be put vnto my people: se that ye burye me with my fathers in the caue that is in the felde of Ephron the Hethyte
30 in the double caue that is in the felde before Mamre in the lande of Canaan. Which felde Abraham boughte of Ephron the Hethite for a possessio to burye in.
31 There they buryed Abraha and Sara his wyfe there they buryed Isaac and Rebecca his wyfe. And there I buried Lea:
32 which felde and the caue that is therin was bought of the childern of Heth.
33 When Iacob had commaunded all that he wold vnto his sonnes be plucked vp his fete apon the bedd and dyed and was put vnto his people.