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Genesis 49

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Genesis chapter 49 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.

Patristic commentary for this chapter has not yet been attached. The translator's notes for this chapter (4) follow the text. Related material may be found among the Church Fathers and the theology tables.

Genesis 49

1And Jacob called his sons, and said to them,Ἐκάλεσε δὲ Ἰακὼβ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, συνάχθητε, ἵνα ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν, τί ἀπαντήσει ὑμῖν ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμέρων.

2Assemble yourselves, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear me, sons of Jacob; hear Israel, hear your father.Συνάχθητε, καὶ ἀκούσατέ μου, υἱοὶ Ἰακώβ· ἀκούσατε Ἰσραὴλ, ἀκούσατε τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν.

3Ruben, you * are my firstborn, you my strength, and the first of my children, hard to be endured, hard and self-willed.Ῥουβὴν πρωτότοκός μου, σὺ ἰσχύς μου, καὶ ἀρχὴ τέκνων μου, σκληρὸς φέρεσθαι, καὶ σκληρὸς αὐθάδης.

4You were insolent like water, burst not forth with violence, for you went up to the bed of your father; then you defiled the couch, whereupon you went up.Ἐξύβρισας ὡς ὕδωρ, μὴ ἐκζέσῃς, ἀνέβης γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην τοῦ πατρός σου· τότε ἐμίανας τὴν στρωμνὴν, οὗ ἀνέβης.

5Symeon and Levi, brethren, accomplished the injustice of their cutting off.Συμεὼν καὶ Λευὶ ἀδελφοὶ συνετέλεσαν ἀδικίαν ἐξαιρέσεως αὐτῶν·

6Let not my soul come into their counsel, and let not my inward parts contend in their conspiracy, for in their wrath they killed men, and in their passion they houghed a bull.Εἰς βουλὴν αὐτῶν μὴ ἔλθοι ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ συστάσει αὐτῶν μὴ ἐρίσαι τὰ ἥπατά μου· ὅτι ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτῶν ἀπέκτειναν ἀνθρώπους, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ αὐτῶν ἐνευροκόπησαν ταῦρον.

7Cursed be their wrath, for it was willful, and their anger, for it was † cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.Ἐπικατάρατος ὁ θυμὸς αὐτὼν, ὅτι αὐθάδης· καὶ ἡ μῆνις αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἐσκληρύνθη· διαμεριῷ αὐτοὺς ἐν Ἰακὼβ, καὶ διασπερῷ αὐτοὺς ἐν Ἰσραήλ.

8Juda, your brethren have praised you, and your hands shall be on the back of your enemies; your father's sons shall do you reverence.Ἰούδα, σὲ αἰνέσαισαν οἱ ἀδελφοί σου· αἱ χεῖρές σου ἐπὶ νώτου τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου· προσκυνήσουσί σοι οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ πατρός σου.

9‡ Juda is a lion's whelp: from the tender plant, my son, you are gone up, having couched you lie as a lion, and as a whelp; who shall stir him up?Σκύμνος λέοντος Ἰούδα· ἐκ βλαστοῦ, υἱέ μου, ἀνέβης· ἀναπεσὼν ἐκοιμήθης ὡς λέων καὶ ὡς σκύμνος· τίς ἐγερεῖ αὐτόν;

10A ruler shall not fail from Juda, nor a prince from his § loins, until there come the things stored up for him; and he is the expectation of nations.Οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ Ἰούδα, καὶ ἡγούμενος ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ, ἕως ἐὰν ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀποκείμενα αὐτῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς προσδοκία ἐθνῶν.

11Binding his foal to the vine, and the foal of his ass to the branch of it, he shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.Δεσμεύων πρὸς ἄμπελον τὸν πῶλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῇ ἕλικι τὸν πῶλον τῆς ὄνου αὐτοῦ, πλυνεῖ ἐν οἴνῳ τὴν στολὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν αἵματι σταφυλῆς τὴν περιβολὴν αὐτοῦ.

12His eyes shall be more cheering than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.Χαροποιοὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ οἶνον· καὶ λευκοὶ οἱ ὀδόντες αὐτοῦ ἢ γάλα.

13Zabulon shall dwell on the coast, and he shall be by a haven of ships, and shall extend to Sidon.Ζαβουλὼν παράλιος κατοικήσει καὶ αὐτὸς παρʼ ὅρμον πλοίων, καὶ παρατενεῖ ἕως Σιδῶνος.

14Issachar has desired that which is good; resting between the inheritances.Ἰσσάχαρ τὸ καλὸν ἐπεθύμησεν, ἀναπαυόμενος ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν κλήρων.

15And having seen the resting place that it was good, and the land that it was fertile, he subjected his shoulder to labor, and became a husbandman.Καὶ ἰδὼν τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν ὅτι καλὴ, καὶ τὴν γῆν ὅτι πίων, ὑπέθηκε τὸν ὦμον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πονεῖν, καὶ ἐγενήθη ἀνὴρ γεωργός.

16Dan shall judge his people, as one tribe too in Israel.Δὰν κρινεῖ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ὡσεὶ καὶ μία φυλὴ ἐν Ἰσραήλ.

17And let Dan be a serpent in the way, besetting the path, biting the heel of the horse (and the rider shall fall backward),Καὶ γενηθητω Δὰν ὄφις ἐφʼ ὁδοῦ, ἐγκαθήμενος ἐπὶ τρίβου, δάκνων πτέρναν ἵππου· καὶ πεσεῖται ὁ ἱππεὺς εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω,

18waiting for the salvation of the Lord.τὴν σωτηρίαν περιμένων Κυρίου.

19Gad, a plundering troop shall plunder him; but he shall plunder him, pursuing him closely.Γὰδ, πειρατήριον πειρατεύσει αὐτόν· αὐτὸς δὲ πειράτεύσει αὐτὸν κατὰ πόδας.

20Aser, his bread shall be fat; and he shall yield dainties to princes.Ἀσὴρ, πίων αὐτοῦ ὁ ἄρτος· καὶ αὐτὸς δώσει τρυφὴν ἄρχουσι.

21Nephthalim is a spreading stem, bestowing beauty on its fruit.Νεφθαλὶ στέλεχος ἀνειμένον, ἐπιδιδοὺς ἐν τῷ γεννήματι κάλλος.

22Joseph is a son increased; my dearly loved son is increased; my youngest son, turn to me.Υἱὸς ηὐξημένος Ἰωσὴφ, υἱὸς ηὐξημένος μου ζηλωτὸς, υἱός μου νεώτατος· πρός με ἀνάστρεψον.

23Against whom men taking evil counsel reproached him, and the archers pressed hard upon him.Εἰς ὃν διαβουλευόμενοι ἐλοιδόρουν, καὶ ἐνεῖχον αὐτῷ κύριοι τοξευμάτων.

24But their bow and arrows were mightily consumed, and the sinews of their arms were slackened by the hand of the mighty one of Jacob; thence is he that strengthened Israel from the God of your father;Καὶ συνετρίβη μετὰ κράτους τὰ τόξα αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐξελύθη τὰ νεῦρα βραχιόνων χειρὸς αὐτῶν, διὰ χεῖρα δυνάστου Ἰακώβ· ἐκεῖθεν ὁ κατισχύσας Ἰσραὴλ παρὰ Θεοῦ τοῦ πατρός σου.

25and my God helped you, and he blessed you with the blessing of heaven from above, and the blessing of the earth possessing all things, because of the blessing of the breasts and of the womb,Καὶ ἐβοήθησέ σοι ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ἐμὸς, καὶ εὐλόγησέ σε εὐλογίαν οὐρανοῦ ἄνωθεν, καὶ εὐλογίαν γῆς ἐχούσης πάντα, εἵνεκεν εὐλογίας μαστῶν καὶ μήτρας,

26the blessings of your father and your mother—it has prevailed above the blessing of the lasting mountains, and beyond the blessings of the everlasting hills; they shall be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the head of the brothers of whom he took the lead.εὐλογίας πατρός σου καὶ μητρός σου· ὑπερίσχυσεν ὑπὲρ εὐλογίας ὀρέων μονίμων, καὶ ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις θινῶν ἀενάων· ἔσονται ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν Ἰωσὴφ, καὶ ἐπὶ κορυφῆς ὧν ἡγήσατο ἀδελφῶν.

27Benjamin, as a ravening wolf, shall eat still in the morning, and at evening he gives food.Βενιαμὶν λύκος ἅρπαξ, τὸ πρωϊνὸν ἔδεται ἔτι, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἑσπέρας δίδωσι τροφήν.

28All these are the twelve sons of Jacob; and their father spoke these words to them, and he blessed them; he blessed each of them according to his blessing.Πάντες οὕτοι υἱοὶ Ἰακὼβ δώδεκα· καὶ ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῶν· καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτούς· ἕκαστον κατὰ τὴν εὐλογίαν αὐτοῦ εὐλόγησεν αὐτούς.

29And he said to them, I am added to my people; you shall bury me with my fathers in the cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Chettite,Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, ἐγὼ προστίθεμαι πρὸς τὸν ἐμὸν λαόν· θάψτέ με μετὰ τῶν πατέρων μου ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, ὅ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ Ἐφρὼν τοῦ Χετταίου,

30in the double cave which is opposite Mambre, in the land of Chanaan, the cave which Abraam bought of Ephron the Chettite, for a possession of a sepulchre.ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ τῷ διπλῷ, τῷ ἀπέναντι Μαμβρῆ, ἐν γῇ Χαναὰν, ὃ ἐκτήσατο Ἁβραὰμ τὸ σπήλαιον παρὰ Ἐφρὼν τοῦ Χετταίου ἐν κτήσει μνημείου.

31There they buried Abraam and Sarrha his wife; there they buried Isaac, and Rebecca his wife; there they buried Lea;Ἐκεῖ ἔθαψαν Ἁβραὰμ καὶ Σάῤῥαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ· ἐκεῖ ἔθαψαν Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ῥεβέκκαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ· ἐκεῖ ἔθαψαν Λείαν·

32in the portion of the field, and of the cave that was in it, purchased of the sons of Chet.Ἐν κτήσει τοῦ ἀγροῦ καὶ τοῦ σπηλαίου τοῦ ὄντος ἐν αὐτῷ, παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Χέτ.

33And Jacob ceased giving charges to his sons; and having lifted up his feet on the bed, he died, and was gathered to his people.Καὶ κατέπαυσεν Ἰακὼβ ἐπιτάσσων τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐξᾴρας τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν κλίνην, ἐξέλιπε· καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

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