Genesis 49:1–33
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.v
2 “Assemblew and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.x
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,y
my might, the first sign of my strength,z
excelling in honor,a excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters,b you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.c
5 “Simeond and Levie are brothers—
their swordsa are weapons of violence.f
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,g
for they have killed men in their angerh
and hamstrungi oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.l
8 “Judah,b m your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neckn of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.o
9 You are a lion’sp cub,q Judah;r
you return from the prey,s 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,t
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,c
until he to whom it belongsd shall comeu
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.v
11 He will tether his donkeyw to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;x
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.y
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.e z
13 “Zebuluna will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.b
14 “Issacharc is a rawbonedf donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.g d
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,e
he will bend his shoulder to the burdenf
and submit to forced labor.g
16 “Danh h will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.i
17 Danj will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,k
that bites the horse’s heelsl
so that its rider tumbles backward.
18 “I look for your deliverance,m Lord.n
19 “Gadi o will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.p
20 “Asher’sq food will be rich;r
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.s
21 “Naphtalit is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.j u
22 “Josephv is a fruitful vine,w
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branchesx climb over a wall.k
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;y
they shot at him with hostility.z
24 But his bow remained steady,a
his strong armsb stayedl limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,c
because of the Shepherd,d the Rock of Israel,e
25 because of your father’s God,f who helpsg you,
because of the Almighty,m h who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below,i
blessings of the breastj and womb.k
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
thann the bounty of the age-old hills.l
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,m
on the brow of the prince amongo his brothers.n
27 “Benjamino is a ravenous wolf;p
in the morning he devours the prey,q
in the evening he divides the plunder.”r
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,s and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessingt appropriate to him.
Genesis 25:1–49:33
25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran,c Jokshan, Medan, Midian,d Ishbak and Shuah.e 3 Jokshan was the father of Shebaf and Dedan;g the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah,h Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.i 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubinesj and sent them away from his son Isaack to the land of the east.l
7 Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.m 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,n an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.o 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried himp in the cave of Machpelahq near Mamre,r in the field of Ephrons son of Zohar the Hittite,t 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.a u There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,v who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.w
12 This is the accountx of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagary the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.z
13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaiotha the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,b Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah,c Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema,d Jetur,e Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulersf according to their settlements and camps.g 17 Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.h 18 His descendantsi settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,j near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility towardb all the tribes related to them.k
19 This is the accountl of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years oldm when he married Rebekahn daughter of Bethuelo the Aramean from Paddan Aramc p and sister of Labanq the Aramean.r
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.s The Lord answered his prayer,t and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.u
“Two nationsv are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.w”
24 When the time came for her to give birth,x there were twin boys in her womb.y 25 The first to come out was red,z and his whole body was like a hairy garment;a so they named him Esau.d b 26 After this, his brother came out,c with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;d so he was named Jacob.e e Isaac was sixty years oldf when Rebekah gave birth to them.
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,g a man of the open country,h while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,i loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.j
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,k Esau came in from the open country,l famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let …
Genesis 25:1–34
25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran,c Jokshan, Medan, Midian,d Ishbak and Shuah.e 3 Jokshan was the father of Shebaf and Dedan;g the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah,h Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.i 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubinesj and sent them away from his son Isaack to the land of the east.l
7 Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.m 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,n an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.o 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried himp in the cave of Machpelahq near Mamre,r in the field of Ephrons son of Zohar the Hittite,t 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.a u There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,v who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.w
12 This is the accountx of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagary the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.z
13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaiotha the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,b Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah,c Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema,d Jetur,e Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulersf according to their settlements and camps.g 17 Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.h 18 His descendantsi settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,j near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility towardb all the tribes related to them.k
19 This is the accountl of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years oldm when he married Rebekahn daughter of Bethuelo the Aramean from Paddan Aramc p and sister of Labanq the Aramean.r
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.s The Lord answered his prayer,t and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.u
“Two nationsv are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.w”
24 When the time came for her to give birth,x there were twin boys in her womb.y 25 The first to come out was red,z and his whole body was like a hairy garment;a so they named him Esau.d b 26 After this, his brother came out,c with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;d so he was named Jacob.e e Isaac was sixty years oldf when Rebekah gave birth to them.
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,g a man of the open country,h while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,i loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.j
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,k Esau came in from the open country,l famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let …