창세기(Genesis) 49장

 

 

창세기(Genesis) 49장

 

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, O 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 comes

to whom it belongs and the

obedience of the nations is 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 then wine,

his teeth whiter than milk.

 

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 between two saddlebags.

 

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 serpent 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, O 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.

 

22. "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine

near a spring, whose branches climb over

a wall.

 

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 heavens above, blessings of the

deep that lies 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 as a burial place from Ephron

the Hittite, along with the field.

 

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.