1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.2 "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers — their swords "are weapons of violence.6 Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.8 "Judah, "your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you.9 You are a lion's cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness —who dares to rouse him?10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, "until he to whom it belongs "shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.11 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. [^5]13 "Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.14 "Issachar is a rawboned "donkey lying down among the sheep pens. [^7]15 When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.16 "Dan "will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward.18 "I look for your deliverance, LORD.19 "Gad "will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.20 "Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.21 "Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. [^10]22 "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. [^11]23 With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.24 But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed "limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,25 because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, "who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb.26 Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than "the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among "his brothers.27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder."28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.29 Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites. ""33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

1 ودعا يعقوب بنيه وقال اجتمعوا لانبئكم بما يصيبكم في آخر الايام2 اجتمعوا واسمعوا يا بني يعقوب. واصغوا الى اسرائيل ابيكم.3 رأوبين انت بكري قوتي واول قدرتي فضل الرفعة وفضل العزّ.4 فائرا كالماء لا تتفضل. لانك صعدت على مضجع ابيك. حينئذ دنسته. على فراشي صعد.5 شمعون ولاوي أخوان. آلات ظلم سيوفهما.6 في مجلسهما لا تدخل نفسي. بمجمعهما لا تتحد كرامتي لانهما في غضبهما قتلا انسانا وفي رضاهما عرقبا ثورا.7 ملعون غضبهما فانه شديد وسخطهما فانه قاس. اقسمهما في يعقوب وافرقهما في اسرائيل.8 يهوذا اياك يحمد اخوتك. يدك على قفا اعدائك يسجد لك بنو ابيك.9 يهوذا جرو اسد. من فريسة صعدت يا ابني. جثا وربض كاسد وكلبوة. من ينهضه.10 لا يزول قضيب من يهوذا ومشترع من بين رجليه حتى ياتي شيلون وله يكون خضوع شعوب.11 رابطا بالكرمة جحشه وبالجفنة ابن اتانه غسل بالخمر لباسه وبدم العنب ثوبه.12 مسود العينين من الخمر ومبيض الاسنان من اللبن.13 زبولون عند ساحل البحر يسكن وهو عند ساحل السفن وجانبه عند صيدون.14 يساكر حمار جسيم رابض بين الحظائر.15 فرأى المحلّ انه حسن والارض انها نزهة. فاحنى كتفه للحمل وصار للجزية عبدا.16 دان يدين شعبه كاحد اسباط اسرائيل.17 يكون دان حية على الطريق افعوانا على السبيل يلسع عقبي الفرس فيسقط راكبه الى الوراء.18 لخلاصك انتظرت يا رب19 جاد يزحمه جيش. ولكنه يزحم مؤخره.20 اشير خبزه سمين وهو يعطي لذّات ملوك.21 نفتالي ايّلة مسيّبة يعطي اقوالا حسنة.22 يوسف غصن شجرة مثمرة غصن شجرة مثمرة على عين. اغصان قد ارتفعت فوق حائط.23 فمرّرته ورمته واضطهدته ارباب السهام.24 ولكن ثبتت بمتانة قوسه وتشددت سواعد يديه. من يدي عزيز يعقوب من هناك من الراعي صخر اسرائيل25 من اله ابيك الذي يعينك ومن القادر على كل شيء الذي يباركك تاتي بركات السماء من فوق وبركات الغمر الرابض تحت. بركات الثديين والرحم.26 بركات ابيك فاقت على بركات ابويّ. الى منية الآكام الدهرية تكون على راس يوسف وعلى قمة نذير اخوته.27 بنيامين ذئب يفترس. في الصباح يأكل غنيمة وعند المساء يقسم نهبا28 جميع هؤلاء هم اسباط اسرائيل الاثنا عشر. وهذا ما كلمهم به ابوهم وباركهم. كل واحد بحسب بركته باركهم.29 واوصاهم وقال لهم انا انضم الى قومي. ادفنوني عند آبائي في المغارة التي في حقل عفرون الحثي.30 في المغارة التي في حقل المكفيلة التي امام ممرا في ارض كنعان التي اشتراها ابراهيم مع الحقل من عفرون الحثي ملك قبر.31 هناك دفنوا ابراهيم وسارة امرأته. هناك دفنوا اسحق ورفقة امرأته. وهناك دفنت ليئة.32 شراء الحقل والمغارة التي فيه كان من بني حثّ.33 ولما فرغ يعقوب من توصية بنيه ضم رجليه الى السرير واسلم الروح وانضمّ الى قومه