Genesis · Chapter 49

[ edit] Jacob forſoþe clepide his ſones, and ſeide to hem, Be ȝe gederid togidris, þat Y telle þat ben to comen to ȝou in þe laſte daies; be ȝe gadered togidris, and here ȝe, þe ſones of Jacob, here ȝe Yrael ȝoure fader. Ruben, my firſt getun, þow my ſtrengþe, and þe bigyning of my ſorwe; firſt in ȝiftis, and more in comaundyng; þow art held out as water; ne grow þow, for þow haſt ſteied up þe cowche of þi fader, and þow haſt defoulid þe bedde of hym.

Symeon and Leuy, breþeren, þe veſſels of ſhrewidnes, makynge batails; in þe counſeil of hem come not my ſoule, and in þe cumpanye of hem be not my glorie; for in her woodnes þei ſlewen a man, and in her owne wil þei vndurdelueden þe wal; curſid is þe woodnes of hem, for it is ſtedfaſt, and þe indignacioun of hem, for it is hard; Y ſhal deuyde hem in Jacob, and I ſhal ſcater hem in Yrael. Juda, þee ſhulen preyſe þi briþeren, þin hondis in þe ſkulles of þin enemyes, þe ſones of þi fader ſhulen lowte þee. Þe whelp of lyon Juda; to þe prey, ſone myne, þow ſteydiſt vp; reſtynge þow ley down as a lyon, and as a lioneſſe who ſhal arere hym?

Þe ſeptre fro Juda ſhal not be takun awey, and a duke fro þe leende of hym, to þe tyme þat he come þat is to be ſent, and he ſhal be þe abidynge of folk of kynde, byndynge to a vynȝerd his colt, and to a vyn, O! my ſone, his ſhe aſſe; he ſhal waſſhe in wyne his ſtoole, and in blood of a grape his mantil; fayrer ben þe eyen of hym þan wyn, and þe teeþ of hym whitter þan mylk. Zabulon in þe brynke of þe ſee ſhal dwelle, and in þe ſtacioun of ſhippes, arechynge vnto Sidon. Yſachar, an hee aſſe ſtrong, liggynge bitwix þe teermes, ſawȝ reſt þat it was good, and þe loond þat it was beſt, and vnderputte his ſhuldur to bere, and he is maad to tributis ſeruynge.

Dan ſhal deme his puple, and as anoþer lynage in Yrael. Be maad Dan an eddre of ſhadowe in þe weie, and an horned eddre in þe paþ, bitynge þe cleen of an hors, þat þe ſteyer up of hym falle bacward; and þi ȝyuer of helþe Y ſhal abyde, Lord. Gad gird ſhal feiȝt bifore hym, and he ſhal be gird bihynde. Aſer, þe fat breed of hym, and he ſhal ȝeue delices to kyngis. Neptalym, þe herte ſent out, and ȝyuynge þe ſpechis of fayrnes. Þe ſone acreeſynge, Joſeph, þe ſone acreſynge, and ſemly in ſiȝt; þe douȝtres hidir and þider renneden vpon þe wal, but þei eggiden hym out, and ſtreuen, and enuyden to hym, hauynge dartis.

Sat in þe ſtrong þe bowe of hym, and vnbounden ben þe bondis of armes, and of þe hondis of hym bi þe hoond of þe myȝti of Jacob; þens a ſhepherde ȝede out, þe ſtoone of Yrael. God of þi fader ſhal be þin helper, and þe Almyȝti ſhal bleſſe to þee wiþ bleſſynges of heuene fro aboue, and wiþ bleſſyngis of þe ſee liggyng beneþ, and wiþ bleſſyngis of tetis, and of þe wombe; þe bliſſyngis of þi fader ben coumfortid wiþ þe bliſſyngis of þe fadris of hym, to þe tyme þat were comen þe deſyre of euerlaſtynge hillis; ben þei maad in þe heed of Joſeph, and in þe heed of Nazarei amonge his breþeren. Beniamyn, a wulf raumpynge, þe morwen tide he ſhall eete a pray, and þe euentide he ſhal dyuyde ſpoylis.

Alle þes in þe lynagis of Irael twelue; þes þingis ſpak to hem her fader, and bleſſide hem eche wiþ propre bleſſyngis. And he comaundide hem, ſeiynge, Y am gedered to my puple, birye ȝe me wiþ my faders in þe dowble ſpelunk, þat is in þe feeld of Effron Eþei, aȝens Mambre, in þe loond of Chanaan, þat Abraham bouȝte wiþ þe feeld of Effron Eþei, into poſſeſſioun of a ſepulcre. Þere þei birieden hym, and Sara, þe wijf of hym; þere alſo byried is Yſaac, wiþ Rebecca þe wijf; þere and Lya biried lieþ. And endid þe maundementis wiþ whiche þe ſones he enfourmyde, he gederede togedere his feet vpon þe bed, and dyed, and put he is to his puple.