Genesis 49:14-33 ▼

14 |[Issachar] is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.

15 When he sees that his resting place is good and that the land is pleasant, he will bend his back to the burden and will become a slave laborer.

16 |[Dan] will hand down decisions for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 Dan will be a snake on a road, a viper on a path, that bites a horse's heels so that its rider falls off backwards.

18 |I wait with hope for you to rescue me, O LORD.

19 |[Gad] will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will strike back 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 has beautiful fawns.

22 |[Joseph] is a fruitful tree, a fruitful tree by a spring, with branches climbing over a wall.

23 Archers provoked him, shot at him, and attacked him.

24 But his bow stayed steady, and his arms remained limber because of the help of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25 because of the God of your father who helps you, because of the Almighty who gives you blessings from the heavens above, blessings from the deep springs below the ground, blessings from breasts and womb.

26 The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the oldest mountains and the riches of the ancient hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the prince among his brothers.

27 |[Benjamin] is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he devours his prey. In the evening he divides the plunder.|

28 These are the 12 tribes of Israel and what their father said to them when he gave each of them his special blessing.

29 Then he gave them these instructions, |I am about to join my ancestors in death. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

30 Abraham bought the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre in Canaan, from Ephron the Hittite to use as a tomb.

31 Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there. Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there. I also buried Leah there.

32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.|

33 When Jacob finished giving these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet into his bed. He took his last breath and joined his ancestors in death.