Study Desk

Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

His father refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations."

Jacob called to his sons, and said: "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.

The scepter will not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.

Binding his foal to the vine, His donkey's colt to the choice vine; He has washed his garments in wine, His robes in the blood of grapes:

His eyes will be red with wine, His teeth white with milk.

"Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.

He saw a resting-place, that it was good, The land, that it was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear, And became a servant doing forced labor.

"Dan will judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

Dan will be a serpent in the way, An adder in the path, That bites the horse's heels, So that his rider falls backward.

Out of Asher his bread will be fat, He will yield royal dainties.

"Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; His branches run over the wall.

But his bow abode in strength, The arms of his hands were made strong, By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (From there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),

The blessings of your father Have prevailed above the blessings of the ancient mountains, Than the bounty of the age-old hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, On the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing.

There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:

When Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.

Joseph fell on his father's face, wept on him, and kissed him.

Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.

Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt,