{
  "1": "Then Jacob summoned {all} his sons. He said {to them}, “Come together {here}, so that I can tell you what will happen to you {and your descendants} in the years ahead.\n\\q1 ",
  "2": "My sons, gather around {me,} {your father} Jacob, and listen {to me}.\n\\q2\n{I,} your father Israel, have something {important} to tell you.\n\\ts\\*\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "3": "“Reuben, you {are} my oldest {son},\n\\q2\n{the result of} my strength and the first child I had as a young man.\n\\q2\n{You had} high status and great authority {in our family}.\n\\q1 ",
  "4": "{However,} {you are} unstable like {rushing} water, {so} you will no longer have your important status {in our family},\n\\q2\nbecause you got {into} my bed {with my concubine}\n\\q2\n{and} dishonored me! You {actually} climbed {into} my couch!\n\\ts\\*\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "5": "“Simeon and Levi, {you are} partners.\n\\q2\nYou use your swords to do violent things {together}.\n\\q1 ",
  "6": "I will never participate with you when you plan {evil} things!\n\\q2\nI refuse to make {evil} plans with you,\n\\q1\nbecause you became angry and murdered {many} people,\n\\q2\nand {just} to entertain yourselves you crippled {some} cattle.\n\\ts\\*\n\\q1 ",
  "7": "May God curse you for being so fiercely angry\n\\q2\nand malicious!\n\\q1\nI {ask God to} scatter you {and your descendants} among {the descendants of} Jacob.\n\\q2\nThat’s right, I {ask him to} scatter you throughout {the land of} Israel.\n\\ts\\*\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "8": "“Judah, your brothers {and their descendants} will {highly} praise you {and your descendants}.\n\\q2\nYou will conquer your enemies.\n\\q2\n{Then} my {other} sons will prostrate themselves before you {and your descendants} {in respect}.\n\\ts\\*\n\\q1 ",
  "9": "Judah, my son, {you are} {powerful} {like} a young lion\n\\q2\nthat has returned {to its den} after {killing} {its} prey.\n\\q1\nIt stretches out {and} lies down {to sleep}.\n\\q2\nNo one dares to disturb that lion.\n\\ts\\*\n\\q1 ",
  "10": "Judah, there will always be one of your descendants ruling as king.\n\\q2\nIn fact, your descendants will rule\n\\q1\nuntil the {highest} king comes\n\\q2\nand the peoples {of the earth} obey him.\n\\ts\\*\n\\q1 ",
  "11": "You {and your descendants} will {be so wealthy that you could} tie your donkey{s} to {your} {grape}vine{s} {to eat the valuable fruit}.\n\\q2\n{It will not matter if} your donkeys’ colts eat {your} best {grapevine} branch{es}.\n\\q1\n{You will still have so much wine from other vines\n\\q2\nthat} you could {even} use it like water to wash your clothes.\n\\q1 ",
  "12": "{Your} eyes {will be} bright from {drinking} {abundant} wine,\n\\q2\nand {your} teeth {will be} white from {drinking} {abundant} milk.\n\\ts\\*\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "13": "“Zebulun, {you} {and your descendants} will live near the coast,\n\\q2\nwhere there will be a {safe} harbor for ships.\n\\q2\nYour territory {will extend} as far {north} as {the city of} Sidon.\n\\ts\\*\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "14": "“Issachar, {you} {and your descendants} {will be} {like} a sturdy donkey\n\\q2\n{that is} resting {on the ground} between two loads.\n\\q1 ",
  "15": "You will have a good place to rest, \n\\q2\nin a land that is pleasant,\n\\q1\nbut you will work hard and carry {heavy loads}.\n\\q2\nYou will have to work {very} hard {for others} as slaves.\n\\ts\\*\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "16": "“Dan, you {and your descendants} will rule your {own} people group\n\\q2\nand have equal status with {the rest of} the tribes of Israel.\n\\q1 ",
  "17": "You will be {like} a poisonous snake\n\\q2\n{lying} beside a road\n\\q1\nthat strikes the feet of {its enemy’s} horse,\n\\q2\nso that {it rears up and} the enemy falls off backward {to the ground}.”\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "18": "{Then Jacob paused and exclaimed,} “Yahweh, I am looking expectantly to you to save {me}!”\n\\ts\\*\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "19": "{Then he continued,} “{As for you,} Gad, a group of robbers will attack you {and your descendants},\n\\q2\nbut you will chase them {and defeat them}.\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "20": "“Asher, {you} {and your descendants} will {be wealthy and} eat the best food.\n\\q2\nIn fact, you will produce delicious foods {that are fit} for kings {to eat}.\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "21": "“Naphtali, {you} {and your descendants} {will be} {swift} {like} a deer that is free to run wherever it wants.\n\\q2\nYou will {also} speak eloquently.\n\\ts\\*\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "22": "“Joseph, {you} {and your descendants} {will become} very numerous {like} {fruit on} a productive {tree}\n\\q2\n{that is growing} next to a stream {of water}, \n\\q2\n{with} branches {full of fruit} that hang over a {nearby} wall.\n\\q1 ",
  "23": "Enemy warriors will {fiercely} attack you {and your descendants}\n\\q2\nand shoot {arrows} {at you} and try to destroy you.\n\\ts\\*\n\\q1 ",
  "24": "But the Mighty {God} whom I worship will keep you strong\n\\q2\nand help you use your weapons well {as you fight back}.\n\\q1\nHe takes care of {his people} the way a shepherd takes care of his sheep.\n\\q2\n{He is} {like} a rock {fortress} who protects Israel {and his descendants}.\n\\ts\\*\n\\q1 ",
  "25": "{That strength/power comes} from the God {who has always taken care} of {me,} your father.\n\\q2\nHe is the all-powerful {God} who will help you {and your descendants}\n\\q1\nand bless you {all} {with} rain from above\n\\q2\nand water from deep in the ground.\n\\q2 He will {also} bless {you} with many children {and much livestock}.\n\\ts\\*\n\\q1 ",
  "26": "{God} has blessed me more\n\\q2\nthan he blessed my ancestors.\n\\q2\n{He has blessed me with riches that are} greater than the riches {that come} from the ancient mountains.\n\\q1\nI pray that {God} will abundantly bless {you too,} Joseph,\n\\q2\nas the one he chose to set apart {and honor} above your brothers.\n\\ts\\*\n\\b\n\\q1 ",
  "27": "“Benjamin {you and your descendants} {will be} {like} a fierce wolf.\n\\q2\nYou will always defeat your enemies\n\\q2\nand take their possessions and wealth.”\n\\ts\\*\n\\p",
  "28": "Those {twelve sons} {are} {the ancestors of} the twelve tribes that descended from Israel, and those {were} the blessings that their father spoke to them. He blessed each one of them with blessings that were appropriate for them {and their descendants}.\n\n\\s1 Jacob Dies and Is Buried\n\\sr 49:29-50:14\n\\p",
  "29": "Then Jacob instructed his sons by saying to them, “I am about to {die and} join my ancestors {who have already died}. Bury my body next to their {bodies} inside the cave that {is} in the field that Ephron the Hittite used to own. ",
  "30": "That cave and field are in the Machpelah {area} that is near {the city of} Mamre in the region of Canaan. {That is the cave} that {my grandfather} Abraham bought, along with the field, from Ephron the Hittite, in order to have a place to bury {his dead relatives}.\n\n\\ts\\* ",
  "31": "That is where {the bodies of} Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, {and} where {the bodies of} Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and that is where I buried {the body of} {my wife} Leah. ",
  "32": "{Abraham} bought that field and cave from the Hittites.”",
  "33": "When Jacob had finished giving those instructions to his sons, he {lay down and} pulled his feet {up} into {his} bed. Then he took his last breath {and died} and joined his ancestors {who had died before him}.\n\n\\ts\\*",
  "front": "\\s1 Jacob’s Last Words to His Twelve Sons\n\\sr 49:1-28\n\\p"
}
