| Holman Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study 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. | 1Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come: |
| 2Come together and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel: | 2Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel. |
| 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, excelling in honor, excelling 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. | 4Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch, and defiled it. |
| 5Simeon and Levi are brothers; their knives are vicious weapons. | 5Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence. |
| 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. | 6May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim. |
| 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 is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse 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 shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to 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? | 9Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to 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 staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his. |
| 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. | 11He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes 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 are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk. |
| 13Zebulun will live by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships, and his territory will be next to Sidon. | 13Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon. |
| 14Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the saddlebags. | 14Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds. |
| 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. | 15He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant. |
| 16Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. | 16Dan shall provide justice for 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. | 17He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward. |
| 18I wait for Your salvation, LORD. | 18I await Your salvation, O LORD. |
| 19Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels. | 19Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels. |
| 20Asher's food will be rich, and he will produce royal delicacies. | 20Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies. |
| 21Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. | 21Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. |
| 22Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine beside a spring; its branches climb over the wall. | 22Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall. |
| 23The archers attacked him, shot at him, and were hostile toward him. | 23The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility. |
| 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, | 24Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name 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. | 25by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you, with blessings of the heavens above, with blessings of the depths below, with 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 have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, 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 he devours the prey, in the evening he divides 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 tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable 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 Jacob instructed 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 31Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there, and I buried Leah there. | 31There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah. |
| 32The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hittites." | 32The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.” |
| 33When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and died. He was gathered to his people. | 33When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people. |
|
