Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
My might and the beginning of my strength,
The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
Because you awent up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—
He went up to my couch.
Let not my honor be united bto their assembly;
cFor in their anger they slew a man,
And in their self-will they1 hamstrung an ox.
And their wrath, for it is cruel!
aI will divide them in Jacob
And scatter them in Israel.
bYour hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
cYour father’s children shall bow down before you.
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
bHe bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
Nor ba lawgiver from between his feet,
cUntil Shiloh comes;
dAnd to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
He washed his garments in wine,
And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
He shall become a haven for ships,
And his border shall badjoin Sidon.
And that the land was pleasant;
He bowed ahis shoulder to bear a burden,
And became a band of slaves.
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse’s heels
So that its rider shall fall backward.
And the arms of his hands were1 made strong
By the hands of bthe Mighty God of Jacob
c(From there dis the Shepherd, ethe Stone of Israel),
bAnd by the Almighty cwho will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
aUp to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
bThey shall be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
In the morning he shall devour the prey,
bAnd at night he shall divide the spoil.”
Jacob’s Death and Burial
| << Genesis 49:2 | Genesis 49:4 >> |
American Standard Version
Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength; The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.
Amplified® Bible
Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the beginning (the firstfruits) of my manly strength {and} vigor; [your birthright gave you] the preeminence in dignity and the preeminence in power.
Contemporary English Version
Reuben, you are my oldest, born at the peak of my powers; you were an honored leader.
Darby English Version
Reuben, thou art my firstborn, My might, and the firstfruits of my vigour: Excellency of dignity, and excellency of strength.
Good News Bible
"Reuben, my first-born, you are my strength And the first child of my manhood, The proudest and strongest of all my sons.
King James Version
Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
New American Standard Bible
"Reuben, you are my firstborn; My might and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
New International Version
"Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
New King James Version
“ Reuben, you are my firstborn,
My might and the beginning of my strength,
The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
"Reuben, you I acknowledge as my firstborn; My might and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
Revised Standard Version
Reuben, you are my first-born, my might, and the first fruits of my strength, pre-eminent in pride and pre-eminent in power.
Young's Literal Translation
Reuben! my first-born thou, My power, and beginning of my strength, The abundance of exaltation, And the abundance of strength;
| << Genesis 49:2 | Genesis 49:4 >> |
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