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1. Then Jacob called his sons to him. He said, "Come here to me, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the future."
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1. And Jacob H3290 called H7121 unto H413 his sons H1121 , and said H559 , Gather yourselves together H622 , that I may tell H5046 you that H853 which H834 shall befall H7122 you in the last H319 days H3117 .
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2. "Come together and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father."
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2. Gather yourselves together H6908 , and hear H8085 , ye sons H1121 of Jacob H3290 ; and hearken H8085 unto H413 Israel H3478 your father H1 .
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3. "Reuben, my first son, you are my strength. Your birth showed I could be a father. You have the highest position among my sons, and you are the most powerful.
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3. Reuben H7205 , thou H859 art my firstborn H1060 , my might H3581 , and the beginning H7225 of my strength H202 , the excellency H3499 of dignity H7613 , and the excellency H3499 of power H5794 :
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4. But you are uncontrolled like water, so you will no longer lead your brothers. This is because you got into your father's bed and shamed me by having sexual relations with my slave girl.
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4. Unstable H6349 as water H4325 , thou shalt not H408 excel H3498 ; because H3588 thou wentest up H5927 to thy father H1 's bed H4904 ; then H227 defiledst H2490 thou it : he went up H5927 to my couch H3326 .
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5. "Simeon and Levi are brothers who used their swords to do violence.
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5. Simeon H8095 and Levi H3878 are brethren H251 ; instruments H3627 of cruelty H2555 are in their habitations H4380 .
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6. I will not join their secret talks, and I will not meet with them to plan evil. They killed men because they were angry, and they crippled oxen just for fun.
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6. O my soul H5315 , come H935 not H408 thou into their secret H5475 ; unto their assembly H6951 , mine honor H3519 , be not H408 thou united H3161 : for H3588 in their anger H639 they slew H2026 a man H376 , and in their self H7522 -will they digged down H6131 a wall H7791 .
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7. May their anger be cursed, because it is too violent. May their violence be cursed, because it is too cruel. and scatter them through all the tribes of Israel.
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7. Cursed H779 be their anger H639 , for H3588 it was fierce H5794 ; and their wrath H5678 , for H3588 it was cruel H7185 : I will divide H2505 them in Jacob H3290 , and scatter H6327 them in Israel H3478 .
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8. "Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grab your enemies by the neck, and your brothers will bow down to you.
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8. Judah H3063 , thou H859 art he whom thy brethren H251 shall praise H3034 : thy hand H3027 shall be in the neck H6203 of thine enemies H341 ; thy father H1 's children H1121 shall bow down H7812 before thee.
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9. Judah is like a young lion. You have returned from killing, my son. Like a lion, he stretches out and lies down to rest, and no one is brave enough to wake him.
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9. Judah H3063 is a lion H738 's whelp H1482 : from the prey H4480 H2964 , my son H1121 , thou art gone up H5927 : he stooped down H3766 , he couched H7257 as a lion H738 , and as an old lion H3833 ; who H4310 shall rouse him up H6965 ?
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10. Kings will come from Judah's family; someone from Judah will always be on the throne. Judah will rule until Shiloh comes, and the nations will obey him.
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10. The scepter H7626 shall not H3808 depart H5493 from Judah H4480 H3063 , nor a lawgiver H2710 from between H4480 H996 his feet H7272 , until H5704 H3588 Shiloh H7886 come H935 ; and unto him shall the gathering H3349 of the people H5971 be .
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11. He ties his donkey to a grapevine, his young donkey to the best branch. He can afford to use wine to wash his clothes and the best wine to wash his robes.
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11. Binding H631 his foal H5895 unto the vine H1612 , and his ass H860 's colt H1121 unto the choice vine H8321 ; he washed H3526 his garments H3830 in wine H3196 , and his clothes H5497 in the blood H1818 of grapes H6025 :
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12. His eyes are dark like the color of wine, and his teeth are as white as the color of milk.
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12. His eyes H5869 shall be red H2447 with wine H4480 H3196 , and his teeth H8127 white H3836 with milk H4480 H2461 .
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13. "Zebulun will live near the sea. His shore will be a safe place for ships, and his land will reach as far as Sidon.
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13. Zebulun H2074 shall dwell H7931 at the haven H2348 of the sea H3220 ; and he H1931 shall be for a haven H2348 of ships H591 ; and his border H3411 shall be unto H5921 Zidon H6721 .
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14. "Issachar is like a strong donkey who lies down while carrying his load.
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14. Issachar H3485 is a strong H1634 ass H2543 couching down H7257 between H996 two burdens H4942 :
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15. When he sees his resting place is good and how pleasant his land is, he will put his back to the load and become a slave.
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15. And he saw H7200 that H3588 rest H4496 was good H2896 , and the land H776 that H3588 it was pleasant H5276 ; and bowed H5186 his shoulder H7926 to bear H5445 , and became H1961 a servant H5647 unto tribute H4522 .
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16. "Dan will rule his own people like the other tribes in Israel.
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16. Dan H1835 shall judge H1777 his people H5971 , as one H259 of the tribes H7626 of Israel H3478 .
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17. Dan will be like a snake by the side of the road, a dangerous snake lying near the path. That snake bites a horse's leg, and the rider is thrown off backward.
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17. Dan H1835 shall be H1961 a serpent H5175 by H5921 the way H1870 , an adder H8207 in H5921 the path H734 , that biteth H5391 the horse H5483 heels H6119 , so that his rider H7392 shall fall H5307 backward H268 .
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18. "Lord, I wait for your salvation.
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18. I have waited H6960 for thy salvation H3444 , O LORD H3068 .
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19. "Robbers will attack Gad, but he will defeat them and drive them away.
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19. Gad H1410 , a troop H1416 shall overcome H1464 him : but he H1931 shall overcome H1464 at the last H6119 .
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20. "Asher's land will grow much good food; he will grow food fit for a king.
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20. Out of Asher H4480 H836 his bread H3899 shall be fat H8082 , and he H1931 shall yield H5414 royal H4428 dainties H4574 .
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21. "Naphtali is like a female deer that runs free, that has beautiful fawns.
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21. Naphtali H5321 is a hind H355 let loose H7971 : he giveth H5414 goodly H8233 words H561 .
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22. "Joseph is like a grapevine that produces much fruit, a healthy vine watered by a spring, whose branches grow over the wall.
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22. Joseph H3130 is a fruitful H6509 bough H1121 , even a fruitful H6509 bough H1121 by H5921 a well H5869 ; whose branches H1323 run H6805 over H5921 the wall H7791 :
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23. Archers attack him violently and shoot at him angrily,
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23. The archers H1167 H2671 have sorely grieved H4843 him , and shot H7232 at him , and hated H7852 him:
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24. but he aims his bow well. His arms are made strong. and his strength from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
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24. But his bow H7198 abode H3427 in strength H386 , and the arms H2220 of his hands H3027 were made strong H6339 by the hands H4480 H3027 of the mighty H46 God of Jacob H3290 ; (from thence H4480 H8033 is the shepherd H7462 , the stone H68 of Israel H3478 :)
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25. Your father's God helps you. God Almighty blesses you. He blesses you with rain from above, with water from springs below, with many babies born to your wives, and many young ones born to your animals.
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25. Even by the God H4480 H410 of thy father H1 , who shall help H5826 thee ; and by the Almighty H7706 , who shall bless H1288 thee with blessings H1293 of heaven H8064 above H4480 H5920 , blessings H1293 of the deep H8415 that lieth H7257 under H8478 , blessings H1293 of the breasts H7699 , and of the womb H7356 :
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26. The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the oldest mountains, greater than the good things of the long-lasting hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, on the forehead of the one who was separated from his brothers.
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26. The blessings H1293 of thy father H1 have prevailed H1396 above H5921 the blessings H1293 of my progenitors H2029 unto H5704 the utmost bound H8379 of the everlasting H5769 hills H1389 : they shall be H1961 on the head H7218 of Joseph H3130 , and on the crown of the head H6936 of him that was separate from H5139 his brethren H251 .
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27. "Benjamin is like a hungry wolf. In the morning he eats what he has caught, and in the evening he divides what he has taken."
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27. Benjamin H1144 shall ravin H2963 as a wolf H2061 : in the morning H1242 he shall devour H398 the prey H5706 , and at night H6153 he shall divide H2505 the spoil H7998 .
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28. These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them. He gave each son the blessing that was right for him.
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28. All H3605 these H428 are the twelve H8147 H6240 tribes H7626 of Israel H3478 : and this H2063 is it that H834 their father H1 spoke H1696 unto them , and blessed H1288 them ; every one H376 H834 according to his blessing H1293 he blessed H1288 them.
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29. Then Israel gave them a command and said, "I am about to die. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
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29. And he charged H6680 them , and said H559 unto H413 them, I H589 am to be gathered H622 unto H413 my people H5971 : bury H6912 me with H413 my fathers H1 in H413 the cave H4631 that H834 is in the field H7704 of Ephron H6085 the Hittite H2850 ,
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30. That cave is in the field of Machpelah east of Mamre in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought the field and cave from Ephron the Hittite for a burying place.
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30. In the cave H4631 that H834 is in the field H7704 of Machpelah H4375 , which H834 is before H5921 H6440 Mamre H4471 , in the land H776 of Canaan H3667 , which H834 Abraham H85 bought H7069 with H854 the field H7704 of H4480 H854 Ephron H6085 the Hittite H2850 for a possession H272 of a burial place H6913 .
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31. Abraham and Sarah his wife are buried there. Isaac and Rebekah his wife are buried there, and I buried my wife Leah there.
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31. There H8033 they buried H6912 H853 Abraham H85 and Sarah H8283 his wife H802 ; there H8033 they buried H6912 H853 Isaac H3327 and Rebekah H7259 his wife H802 ; and there H8033 I buried H6912 H853 Leah H3812 .
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32. The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittite people."
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32. The purchase H4735 of the field H7704 and of the cave H4631 that H834 is therein was from H4480 H854 the children H1121 of Heth H2845 .
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33. After Jacob finished talking to his sons, he lay down. He put his feet back on the bed, took his last breath, and died.
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33. And when Jacob H3290 had made an end H3615 of commanding H6680 H853 his sons H1121 , he gathered up H622 his feet H7272 into H413 the bed H4296 , and yielded up the ghost H1478 , and was gathered H622 unto H413 his people H5971 .
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