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雅各祝福眾子

49 雅各把他的眾子叫來,說:“你們要聚集在一起,我要把你們日後必遇到的事告訴你們。

雅各的兒子們哪,你們要一起來聽;

要聽你們父親以色列的話。

流本哪,你是我的長子,

是我的力量,是我的初生子;

你大有尊榮,權力超眾;

但是你放縱情慾,好像水沸騰一樣,你必不能居首位;

因為你上了你父親的床;

上了我的榻,然後把它玷污了。

西緬和利未是兄弟;

他們的刀劍是強暴的武器。

我的靈啊,不可加入他們的陰謀;

我的心啊,不可參與他們的集會,

因為他們在怒中殺人,

任意砍斷牛的腿筋。

他們的怒氣可咒,因為非常暴烈;

他們的烈怒可詛,因為十分兇猛;

我要把他們分散在雅各家;

把他們散居在以色列。

猶大啊,你的兄弟們要稱讚你;

你的手必壓住仇敵的頸項;

你父親的眾子必向你下拜。

猶大是隻小獅子;

我兒啊,你獵取了食物就上到洞穴去。

他屈身伏臥,好像公獅,

又像母獅,誰敢驚動他呢?

10 權杖必不離開猶大,

王圭必不離他兩腳之間,

直到細羅(“細羅”有古譯本作“屬他的那位”)來到,

萬族都要臣服他。

11 猶大把自己的驢駒拴在葡萄樹旁,

把自己的小驢繫在上等的葡萄樹旁;

他在葡萄酒中洗淨自己的衣服,

在血紅的葡萄汁中洗衣袍。

12 他因飲酒而雙眼發紅,

他因喝奶而牙齒雪白。

13 西布倫必在沿海地帶居住,

他必成為船隻停泊的港口,

他的邊界必伸到西頓。

14 以薩迦是一頭粗壯的驢,

伏臥在羊圈(“羊圈”原文意思不詳,或譯:“重馱”)之間;

15 他看安居為美,

他看肥地為佳,

他屈肩負重,

成了服苦的奴僕。

16 但要審判自己的人民,

作以色列的一個支派。

17 但要作路上的蛇,

道中的毒蛇,

他要咬傷馬蹄,

使騎馬的人向後墜落。

18 耶和華啊,我向來等候你的拯救。

19 迦得必被侵略者追逼,

他卻要追逼他們的腳跟。

20 至於亞設,他的食物必定肥美,

他有美食可以供奉君王。

21 拿弗他利是隻得釋放的母鹿,

發出優美的言語。

22 約瑟是一根結果子的樹枝,

是一根泉旁結果子的樹枝,

他的枝條蔓延出牆外。

23 弓箭手把他苦害,

向他射箭敵對他。

24 但他的弓依然堅硬,

他的手臂仍舊敏捷,

這是出於雅各的大能者之手;

出於以色列的牧者,以色列的磐石。

25 是你父親的 神幫助你,

是那全能者賜給你;

他把從天上來的福,

地下深淵蘊藏著的福,

哺乳和生育的福,都賜給你。

26 你父親的祝福,

勝過我祖先的祝福(“勝過我祖先的祝福”有古譯本作“勝過亙古的山岡”),勝過永遠山嶺上的美物。

願這些福都降在約瑟的頭上,

降在兄弟中作王子的那一位頭上。

27 便雅憫是隻撕掠的豺狼,

早晨吞吃他的獵物,

晚上瓜分他的擄物。”

28 這些就是以色列的十二支派;以上是他們父親對他們所說的話,是按著各人的福分給他們所祝的福。

雅各的遺囑及其逝世

29 雅各又囑咐他們,對他們說:“我快要歸到我的親族那裡去,你們要把我埋葬在赫人以弗崙田間的洞裡,與我的祖先在一起。 30 這個洞在迦南地,在幔利前面的麥比拉的田間。那地方原是亞伯拉罕向赫人以弗崙買下來作墳地的。 31 他們在那裡埋葬了亞伯拉罕和他的妻子撒拉;又在那裡埋葬了以撒和他的妻子利百加;我也在那裡埋葬了利亞。 32 那塊田和田間的洞,是向赫人買來的。” 33 雅各對他的眾子囑咐完了,就把雙腳收回床上,氣絕而死,歸到他的親族那裡去了。

49 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

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.

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

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 an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes 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 haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:

15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.

19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30 In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.

31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.

33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

Jacob Blesses His Sons(A)

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.(B)

“Assemble(C) and listen, sons of Jacob;
    listen to your father Israel.(D)

“Reuben, you are my firstborn,(E)
    my might, the first sign of my strength,(F)
    excelling in honor,(G) excelling in power.
Turbulent as the waters,(H) you will no longer excel,
    for you went up onto your father’s bed,
    onto my couch and defiled it.(I)

“Simeon(J) and Levi(K) are brothers—
    their swords[a] are weapons of violence.(L)
Let me not enter their council,
    let me not join their assembly,(M)
for they have killed men in their anger(N)
    and hamstrung(O) oxen as they pleased.
Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
    and their fury,(P) so cruel!(Q)
I will scatter them in Jacob
    and disperse them in Israel.(R)

“Judah,[b](S) your brothers will praise you;
    your hand will be on the neck(T) of your enemies;
    your father’s sons will bow down to you.(U)
You are a lion’s(V) cub,(W) Judah;(X)
    you return from the prey,(Y) 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,(Z)
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[c]
until he to whom it belongs[d] shall come(AA)
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his.(AB)
11 He will tether his donkey(AC) to a vine,
    his colt to the choicest branch;(AD)
he will wash his garments in wine,
    his robes in the blood of grapes.(AE)
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
    his teeth whiter than milk.[e](AF)

13 “Zebulun(AG) will live by the seashore
    and become a haven for ships;
    his border will extend toward Sidon.(AH)

14 “Issachar(AI) is a rawboned[f] donkey
    lying down among the sheep pens.[g](AJ)
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
    and how pleasant is his land,(AK)
he will bend his shoulder to the burden(AL)
    and submit to forced labor.(AM)

16 “Dan[h](AN) will provide justice for his people
    as one of the tribes of Israel.(AO)
17 Dan(AP) will be a snake by the roadside,
    a viper along the path,(AQ)
that bites the horse’s heels(AR)
    so that its rider tumbles backward.

18 “I look for your deliverance,(AS) Lord.(AT)

19 “Gad[i](AU) will be attacked by a band of raiders,
    but he will attack them at their heels.(AV)

20 “Asher’s(AW) food will be rich;(AX)
    he will provide delicacies fit for a king.(AY)

21 “Naphtali(AZ) is a doe set free
    that bears beautiful fawns.[j](BA)

22 “Joseph(BB) is a fruitful vine,(BC)
    a fruitful vine near a spring,
    whose branches(BD) climb over a wall.[k]
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;(BE)
    they shot at him with hostility.(BF)
24 But his bow remained steady,(BG)
    his strong arms(BH) stayed[l] limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,(BI)
    because of the Shepherd,(BJ) the Rock of Israel,(BK)
25 because of your father’s God,(BL) who helps(BM) you,
    because of the Almighty,[m](BN) who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
    blessings of the deep springs below,(BO)
    blessings of the breast(BP) and womb.(BQ)
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
    than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
    than[n] the bounty of the age-old hills.(BR)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,(BS)
    on the brow of the prince among[o] his brothers.(BT)

27 “Benjamin(BU) is a ravenous wolf;(BV)
    in the morning he devours the prey,(BW)
    in the evening he divides the plunder.”(BX)

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,(BY) and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing(BZ) appropriate to him.

The Death of Jacob

29 Then he gave them these instructions:(CA) “I am about to be gathered to my people.(CB) Bury me with my fathers(CC) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,(CD) 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah,(CE) near Mamre(CF) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field(CG) as a burial place(CH) from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There Abraham(CI) and his wife Sarah(CJ) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah(CK) were buried, and there I buried Leah.(CL) 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.[p](CM)

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.(CN)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 49:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
  3. Genesis 49:10 Or from his descendants
  4. Genesis 49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  5. Genesis 49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk
  6. Genesis 49:14 Or strong
  7. Genesis 49:14 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
  8. Genesis 49:16 Dan here means he provides justice.
  9. Genesis 49:19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders.
  10. Genesis 49:21 Or free; / he utters beautiful words
  11. Genesis 49:22 Or Joseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced hill
  12. Genesis 49:24 Or archers will attack … will shoot … will remain … will stay
  13. Genesis 49:25 Hebrew Shaddai
  14. Genesis 49:26 Or of my progenitors, / as great as
  15. Genesis 49:26 Or of the one separated from
  16. Genesis 49:32 Or the descendants of Heth