1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Come here, and let me tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.
2 “Gather around and listen, sons of Jacob.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
4 You will no longer be first
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.
6 Do not let me attend their secret meetings.
7 May their anger be cursed because it’s so fierce.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
9 Judah, you are a lion cub.
10 A scepter will never depart from Judah
11 He will tie his donkey to a grapevine,
12 His eyes are darker than wine.
13 “Zebulun will live by the coast.
14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,
15 When he sees that his resting place is good
16 “Dan will hand down decisions for his people
17 Dan will be a snake on a road,
18 “I wait with hope for you to rescue me, O Lord.
19 “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,
20 “Asher’s food will be rich.
21 “Naphtali is a doe set free
22 “Joseph is a fruitful tree,
23 Archers provoked him,
24 But his bow stayed steady, and his arms remained limber
25 because of the God of your father who helps you,
26 The blessings of your father are greater than
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.
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.