Jacob blesses Joseph's Sons. His Prophecy concerning his Sons
im's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, [1]guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath fed me all my life long unto this day, 16 the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. 17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head. 19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a [2]multitude of nations. 20 And he blessed them that day, saying, [3]In thee will Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God will be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to thee one [4]portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
49 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the latter days.
And hearken unto Israel your father.
3 Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the [5]beginning of my strength;
The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.
4 Boiling over as water, [6]thou shalt not have the pre-eminence;
Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed;
Then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
5 Simeon and Levi are brethren;
Weapons of violence are their [7]swords.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their [8]council;
Unto their assembly, my glory, be not thou united;
For in their anger they slew [9]a man,
And in their self-will they hocked [10]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, thee shall thy brethren praise:
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 art gone up:
He stooped down, he couched as a lion,
And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
Nor [11]the ruler's staff from between his feet,
[12]Until Shiloh come:
And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.
11 Binding his foal unto the vine,
And his ass's colt unto the choice vine;
He hath 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 [13]haven of the sea;
And he shall be for a haven of ships;
And his border shall be [14]upon Sidon.
14 Issachar is a strong ass,
Couching down between the sheepfolds:
- ↑ Or, crossing his hands
- ↑ Heb. fulness.
- ↑ Or, By
- ↑ Or, mountain slope
- ↑ Or, first-fruits
- ↑ Or, have not thou
- ↑ Or, compacts
- ↑ Or, secret
- ↑ Or, men
- ↑ Or, oxen
- ↑ Or, a lawgiver
- ↑ Or, Till he come to Shiloh, having the obedience of the peoples. Or, acc. to Syr., Till he come whose it is &c.
- ↑ Heb. beach.
- ↑ Or, by
