Genesis 49

1Then Jacob called for his sons, and said: 2Assemble yourselves and listen, you sons of Jacob. 3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, 4Uncontrollable as rushing water, 5Simeon and Levi are brothers. 6O my soul, do not come into their council; 7May their anger be cursed, 8Judah, your brothers will praise you. 9Judah is a lion's cub. My son, 10The scepter will not depart from Judah, 11Binding his donkey to the vine, 12His eyes will be as dark as wine, 13Zebulun will live by the shore of the sea. 14Issachar is a strong donkey, 15He sees a good resting place and the pleasant land. 16Dan will judge his people 17Dan will be a snake beside the road, 18I wait for your salvation, Yahweh. 19Gad—raiders will attack him, 20Asher's food will be rich, 21Naphtali is a doe let loose; 22Joseph is a fruitful bough, 23The archers will attack him 24But his bow will remain steady, 25The God of your father will help you 26The blessings of your father 27Benjamin is a hungry wolf. 28These are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. Each one he blessed with an appropriate blessing. 29Then he instructed them and said to them, “I am about to go to my people. Bury me with my forefathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is near Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought for a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 31There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. 32The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the people of Heth.”