Genesis 49:13-28

Genesis 49:13-28 The Message (MSG)

Zebulun settles down on the seashore; he’s a safe harbor for ships, right alongside Sidon. Issachar is one tough donkey crouching between the corrals; When he saw how good the place was, how pleasant the country, He gave up his freedom and went to work as a slave. Dan will handle matters of justice for his people; he will hold his own just fine among the tribes of Israel. Dan is only a small snake in the grass, a lethal serpent in ambush by the road When he strikes a horse in the heel, and brings its huge rider crashing down. I wait in hope for your salvation, GOD. Gad will be attacked by bandits, but he will trip them up. Asher will become famous for rich foods, candies and sweets fit for kings. Naphtali is a deer running free that gives birth to lovely fawns. Joseph is a wild donkey, a wild donkey by a spring, spirited donkeys on a hill. The archers with malice attacked, shooting their hate-tipped arrows; But he held steady under fire, his bow firm, his arms limber, With the backing of the Champion of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. The God of your father—may he help you! And may The Strong God—may he give you his blessings, Blessings tumbling out of the skies, blessings bursting up from the Earth— blessings of breasts and womb. May the blessings of your father exceed the blessings of the ancient mountains, surpass the delights of the eternal hills; May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the one consecrated among his brothers. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; all morning he gorges on his kill, at evening divides up what’s left over. All these are the tribes of Israel, the twelve tribes. And this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one with his own special farewell blessing. * * *

Genesis 49:13-28 King James Version (KJV)

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. Issachar is a strong ass Couching down between two burdens: 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. Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel. 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. I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. Gad, a troop shall overcome him: But he shall overcome at the last. Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, And he shall yield royal dainties. Naphtali is a hind let loose: He giveth goodly words. Joseph is a fruitful bough, Even a fruitful bough by a well; Whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, And shot at him, and hated him: 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:) 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: 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. Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil. 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.

Genesis 49:13-28 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)

“Zebulun will dwell at the seashore; And he shall be a haven for ships, And his flank shall be toward Sidon. “Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between the sheepfolds. When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, And became a slave at forced labor. “Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, A horned snake in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, So that his rider falls backward. For Your salvation I wait, O LORD. “As for Gad, raiders shall raid him, But he will raid at their heels. “As for Asher, his food shall be rich, And he will yield royal dainties. “Naphtali is a doe let loose, He gives beautiful words. “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, And shot at him and harassed him; But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), From the God of your father who helps you, And by the Almighty who blesses you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; May they be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoil.” All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him.

Genesis 49:13-28 New Century Version (NCV)

“Zebulun will live near the sea. His shore will be a safe place for ships, and his land will reach as far as Sidon. “Issachar is like a strong donkey who lies down while carrying his load. 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. “Dan will rule his own people like the other tribes in Israel. 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. “LORD, I wait for your salvation. “Robbers will attack Gad, but he will defeat them and drive them away. “Asher’s land will grow much good food; he will grow food fit for a king. “Naphtali is like a female deer that runs free, that has beautiful fawns. “Joseph is like a grapevine that produces much fruit, a healthy vine watered by a spring, whose branches grow over the wall. Archers attack him violently and shoot at him angrily, but he aims his bow well. His arms are made strong. He gets his power from the Mighty God of Jacob and his strength from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. 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. 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. “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.” 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.

Genesis 49:13-28 American Standard Version (ASV)

Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; And he shall be for a haven of ships; And his border shall be upon Sidon. Issachar is a strong ass, Couching down between the sheepfolds: And he saw a resting-place that it was good, And the land that it was pleasant; And he bowed his shoulder to bear, And became a servant under taskwork. Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, An adder in the path, That biteth the horse’s heels, So that his rider falleth backward. I have waited for thy salvation, O Jehovah. Gad, a troop shall press upon him; But he shall press upon their heel. Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, And he shall yield royal dainties. Naphtali is a hind let loose: He giveth goodly words. Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a fountain; His branches run over the wall. The archers have sorely grieved him, And shot at him, and persecuted him: But his bow abode in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong, By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel), 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 coucheth beneath, Blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. 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. Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth: In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at even he shall divide the spoil. 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.

Genesis 49:13-28 New International Version (NIV)

“Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon. “Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down among the sheep pens. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. “Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward. “I look for your deliverance, LORD. “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels. “Asher’s food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king. “Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb. Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.” All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

Genesis 49:13-28 New King James Version (NKJV)

“Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon. “Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens; He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves. “Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward. I have waited for your salvation, O LORD! “Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last. “Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties. “Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words. “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.” All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.

Genesis 49:13-28 Amplified Bible (AMP)

¶“Zebulun shall dwell at the seashore; And he shall be a haven (landing place) for ships, And his flank shall be toward Sidon. ¶“Issachar is [like] a strong-boned donkey, Crouching down between the sheepfolds. “When he saw that the resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear [burdens], And became a servant at forced labor. ¶“Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel. “Dan shall be a [venomous] serpent in the way, A fanged snake in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, So that his rider falls backward. “I wait for Your salvation, O LORD. ¶“As for Gad—a raiding troop shall raid him, But he shall raid at their heels and assault them [victoriously]. ¶“Asher’s food [supply] shall be rich and bountiful, And he shall yield and deliver royal delights. ¶“Naphtali is a doe let loose, [a swift warrior,] Which yields branched antlers (eloquent words). ¶“Joseph is a fruitful bough (a main branch of the vine), A fruitful bough by a spring (a well, a fountain); Its branches run over the wall [influencing others]. “The [skilled] archers have bitterly attacked and provoked him; They have shot [at him] and harassed him. “But his bow remained firm and steady [in the Strength that does not fail], For his arms were made strong and agile By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (By the name of the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), [Gen 48:15; Deut 32:4; Is 9:6; 49:26] By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who blesses you With blessings of the heavens above, Blessings lying in the deep that couches beneath, Blessings of the [nursing] breasts and of the [fertile] womb. “The blessings of your father Are greater than the blessings of my ancestors [Abraham and Isaac] Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; They shall be on the head of Joseph, Even on the crown of the head of him who was the distinguished one and the one who is prince among (separate from) his brothers. ¶“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And at night he divides the spoil.” All these are the [beginnings of the] twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one according to the blessing appropriate to him.

Genesis 49:13-28 New Living Translation (NLT)

“Zebulun will settle by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships; his borders will extend to Sidon. “Issachar is a sturdy donkey, resting between two saddlepacks. When he sees how good the countryside is and how pleasant the land, he will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labor. “Dan will govern his people, like any other tribe in Israel. Dan will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper along the path that bites the horse’s hooves so its rider is thrown off. I trust in you for salvation, O LORD! “Gad will be attacked by marauding bands, but he will attack them when they retreat. “Asher will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings. “Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. “Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey, the foal of a wild donkey at a spring— one of the wild donkeys on the ridge. Archers attacked him savagely; they shot at him and harassed him. But his bow remained taut, and his arms were strengthened by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. May the God of your father help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, and blessings of the watery depths below, and blessings of the breasts and womb. May my fatherly blessings on you surpass the blessings of my ancestors, reaching to the heights of the eternal hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, who is a prince among his brothers. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, devouring his enemies in the morning and dividing his plunder in the evening.” These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.

Genesis 49:13-28 The Passion Translation (TPT)

“Zebulun will settle along the seashore and become a safe harbor for ships, and his borders will extend to Sidon. “Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between its saddlebags. When he sees that his resting place is good, and his portion is so pleasant, then he will bend his shoulder to the burden and labor for his master. “Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a snake waiting by the roadside, like a snake in the grass. He bites the horse’s heels, making its rider fall backward. “I wait in hope for your salvation, O  YAHWEH! “Gad will be raided by raiders, but he will raid at their heels and overcome them at last. “Asher’s food will be rich, and he will provide delicacies fit for a king. “Naphtali is a doe set free, who bestows beauty on his offspring. “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine growing by a spring, whose branches run over a wall. Persecutors fiercely attacked him; they pursued him with their bow and arrows. But Joseph’s bow remained steady, because the power of the Mighty One of Jacob strengthened him, by the name of the loving Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. The God of your father will help and protect you; the God who is more than enough will bless you. He will bless you with the blessings of heaven, blessings of the deep that lie beneath, and blessings of the breast and womb. The blessings of your father will be greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains, surpassing the blessings of my ancestors! May Joseph’s blessings crown his head and rest on the brow of the one set apart, prince among his brothers. “Benjamin is a ferocious wolf. He devours his prey; in the evening, he divides the spoil.” All these men became the twelve tribes of Israel. These were prophetic words their father spoke to them when he blessed them, blessing each son with a parting word appropriate to him.

Genesis 49:13-28 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)

“Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon. “Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor. “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that his rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, O LORD. “Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. “Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies. “Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns. “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.” All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.