Introduction

Greetings everyone! We are looking at the forty-ninth chapter of Genesis. In the blink of an eye, our study of the fifty chapters of Genesis is about to conclude. Time flies quickly, and I want to share with you my style of doing things. If you observe closely, you will notice a distinct characteristic in me: I am not in a hurry; I proceed gradually and step by step. However, my direction is very clear, and I am constantly accumulating. Have you noticed how remarkable my accumulation efforts are? In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed, and the material I have accumulated is enough for you to digest for a while.

Brothers and sisters who came here ten years ago said they had listened to all the content posted online. Now, newcomers say there is too much content on the website to listen to completely because new content arrives before they finish listening. Content production is crucial for us. There is now so much content online that it can be used to build large artificial intelligence models.

Therefore, everyone, please do not be impatient. Do not do things without accumulation, dabbling here and there, as that is very corrupting. Don't think that just because you are in your teens or twenties, or even in your thirties, there is any reason to rush. I was already in my forties when I started building the church. Gradual accumulation is very important; it is evidence of faith.

Many years ago, I cherished the dream of building a glorious church for God. As a result, a miracle occurred: the inexplicable creation of Chinese Mingding Destiny. This will have a profound impact on future generations. I suspect that the story we are telling will be sung in heaven and on earth. God's glory is so wonderful! This is my destiny. I was born for this, and I came into this world for this, because there is one person in my life whom I often emulate: Joseph.

We are talking about the forty-ninth chapter of Genesis. I call the theme of this chapter "Jacob's sons, listen to your father." Here, Jacob's sons refer to those born into the house of Israel. Do not think that just because you were born into the house of Israel, you are already insured. If you have believed in the Lord and become Jacob's sons, you must listen to your father Israel today. Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't listen. Not listening has its destiny, and listening has its destiny.

I also want to tell everyone, do not think that you have already obtained it. There is a very evil argument preached by many pastors, whether they are evangelicals or something else, that once you are saved, you are always saved and will never lose it again. In fact, there is no such thing at all. The Bible is full of examples of loss. So we brothers and sisters must know that although we are Christians, we must still listen to our Heavenly Father!

You Should Have Great Honor and Power, but You Will Not Be the Foremost

Do not think that this refers only to Reuben; it refers to all those who have Reuben's faults. We who believe in Jesus were originally disciples of Jesus Christ, and we should all have received the birthright. In fact, the birthright has been given to us. God can create so many firstborn for us. But what caused Reuben to lose his birthright?

"Gather yourselves together, and hear, you sons of Jacob; and listen to Israel your father. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch." (Genesis 49:2-4)

Speaking of Reuben, the firstborn, it is also very interesting. The birthright should have great honor and power. In the family of Israel, Abraham's firstborn was Ishmael, and later he had a son named Isaac. As a result, only those born from Isaac were descendants of Abraham. Isaac's children were twins, born a few minutes apart, but the older served the younger. The older was called Esau, who became a model of curse. The younger was called Jacob, who was later renamed Israel.

Jacob obtained the birthright, but Esau lost it. In Jacob's time, Jacob had twelve sons. The eldest, Reuben, lost his birthright because he indulged in lust and slept with his father's concubine. He found something in the field called mandrakes, which are actually aphrodisiac herbs, or what we call Viagra today, a tonic. After eating this medicine, the sexual desire surged, and when that energy came up, it was over; the brain could not control it. There are many things that the brain cannot control, and one of the most deadly is sexual desire; sexual impulses are difficult to control.

"Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, 'Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.' But she said to her, 'Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? And would you take away my son's mandrakes also?' Rachel said, 'Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes.' When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, 'You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes.' So he lay with her that night." (Genesis 30:14-16)

Jacob married four wives in total, and the only one he loved was Rachel. The other three, Leah and the two concubines, were actually just childbearing machines. Reuben not only ate mandrakes himself but also gave them to his mother Leah. Leah used the mandrakes he gave her to exchange with Rachel for the opportunity for Jacob to sleep with her. Reuben was very knowledgeable about aphrodisiacs and liked to study them, which means he had a lot of demand in this area. In fact, it is okay to do business with aphrodisiacs today because the world is full of Reubens, big and small.

So everyone must know that Reuben lost his birthright because of lust. The most concentrated manifestation is sexual desire. "Sex" is actually very corrupting. Sometimes, describing a person as only thinking with their lower body means that their brain is not very useful.

Reuben lost his birthright after eating aphrodisiacs and finding Jacob's concubine. Brothers and sisters must know that lust can easily cause one to lose the birthright. Originally, the firstborn should have great honor and power, but because of messing with aphrodisiacs, he became uncontrollable. We must say that Reuben was not a bad person, but he didn't need to be too bad; it was over just like that.

So let's think about what can cause people to lose their position and birthright as the firstborn? Everyone should pay attention to the following: The first is that Esau liked to hunt and eat and drink. When he was so hungry that he couldn't stand it, he threw the birthright to the back of his mind and sold it for a bowl of red bean soup. Gluttony is a deadly thing. Gluttony caused Esau to lose his birthright. It is "gluttony" in the lower body, and it is also "gluttony." However, whether it is gluttony above or "gluttony" below, it is indulging in lust.

Today, it is quite common for Christians to indulge in lust, so losing the birthright seems to be a common phenomenon. That is why I am very concerned about whether you will be an Esau or a Reuben. This is very deadly. Indulging in lust is unstable as water, and you will not be the foremost. Food and sex are human nature. Gluttony and lust are carnal nature, and you will lose the birthright.

From a certain point of view, it is a reminder that lust can cause one to lose the birthright. Gluttony and lust are catering to the flesh, and then you lose the birthright. Someone asked if Reuben went to heaven. In fact, I don't like to discuss the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles, and I don't want to study people like Reuben because it is meaningless to discuss these, and I really don't know. I only know one thing: I want to be Joseph.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, do not fall into the mystery of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles. If we talk about the twelve tribes, the tribe of Reuben is one of them. According to the twelve apostles, there is no Paul in it, which is very confusing. I encourage everyone not to explore in this direction. This is just to tell you that God's favorite person is Joseph. Joseph is the greatest among the twelve tribes.

Chinese Mingding Destiny values destiny very much. What is this destiny? It is what people live for. Lot, Esau, and Reuben are all people who lost their destiny. Everyone should not learn from them, and there is no need to ask if they are in heaven. No one can tell you even if you ask. I have never been there, and I have never seen it. But we know that catering to the flesh is death, and losing destiny is a curse.

If the birthright falls on you, whether you can keep it depends on your creation. You can see in this chapter that when Israel blessed people, he did not speak by faith but by personal blessing. Reuben's blessing does not look like a blessing in any way. According to my logic, you may be one of the sons of Israel, or you may be a Christian. The point is that you must keep your birthright well. That is why we value destiny so much.

Anger and Wrath Caused Simeon and Levi to Lose Their Birthright

After Reuben lost his birthright, it was Simeon or Levi's turn. As a result, anger and wrath caused Simeon and Levi to lose their birthright. After the eldest loses the birthright, it is the second child's turn. After the second child loses the birthright, it is given to the third child, and so on. That is how the birthright is rotated. We must know that indulging in lust is the first basic element of losing destiny, and anger and wrath become the second element of losing the birthright. Esau and Reuben both fell into the pit of lust. I don't want to discuss whether they repented, but that is their destiny, their creation. When it came to Simeon and Levi, anger and wrath caused them to lose their birthright. Hating people like murder comes from this.

Simeon and Levi's sister was raped by the Shechemites. Simeon and Levi deceived them into keeping the circumcision and took advantage of the situation to kill everyone. In fact, this is a very immoral practice. People who are circumcised are also willing to be included in the people of Israel. It is completely okay for a few more people in this world to be included in the people of Jesus Christ. If people are willing to marry his sister, just marry the sister over. They killed people, and Jacob was very distressed about this. These two sons were too bad.

"Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. Let not my soul enter into their council; let not my honor be united to their assembly; for in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." (Genesis 49:5-7)

If it is said that Simeon and Levi received a blessing, it is more like a curse. Although the scriptures speak of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, they are actually speaking of Christians who are like Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. This is not said to others but to the sons of Jacob, reminding everyone to be careful not to be such people. I have found that many Christians are filled with anger and wrath. Some people have pain here and pain there, all because of hating people. If God doesn't discipline you, who will? Because hating people will hate to the bone, so the bones and joints will hurt. This is a curse that will cause people to lose their destiny.

Jacob called his sons over to tell them who would lose their destiny. Everyone should take their seats and ask themselves whether they are Simeon, Levi, or Reuben. Such people will really be scattered among God's people. We all have a little bit of the things that caused Levi, Simeon, and Reuben to lose their destiny.

Chinese Mingding Destiny believes that corpses are everywhere on this road of destiny. Do not think that you are a son of Jacob, one of the twelve tribes, and think that you have already obtained it. In fact, there is no such thing. The Apostle Paul said that it was not that he thought he had already obtained it but that he strived to pursue it and ran towards the goal. So don't mess around with me, or I will definitely discipline you.

Having Obtained, Do Not Lose

Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches, he lies down like a lion; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. (Genesis 49:8-10)

Judah had three older brothers. Unlike his father, who needed red lentil soup, he needed to do nothing to win. He simply won by default. His father, Jacob, labored mightily to obtain the birthright, exhausting himself. Judah, however, picked up a bargain. The problem is that if you obtain the birthright, first learn from Judah not to fail. If you obtain Mingding Destiny, never lose it again. If we obtain it today, we must be like a lion's cub, knowing that we have the destiny of a prince. Judah picked up the destiny of a prince by default, grasped it firmly, and did not lose it again. The younger brothers, unlike Joseph, were ordinary people and had no further opportunities!

This is why I do not particularly like to talk about the twelve tribes or the twelve apostles, but rather about obtaining and losing Mingding Destiny. Today, Judah must not lose what he has obtained, and he is quite grateful. He married a daughter-in-law, Tamar, who brought a marvelous grace to Judah. The Bible records that Tamar was more righteous than Judah because, in her faith, she was determined to have a child in the house of Judah. As a result, Judah felt that he was a prince in God's eyes, a lion's cub. Why is Judah not a great lion? Because his birthright was obtained by default. But Jacob was very clear in his heart that Judah was a lion's cub.

Unlike Jacob himself, who painstakingly acquired it with a bowl of red lentil soup. After Tamar gave birth to Zerah and Perez, Jacob also admired Tamar because Tamar had Jacob's character: to obtain at all costs. As a result, Tamar obtained Mingding Destiny. Mingding Destiny is that all nations will obey until Shiloh comes. Judah's name is in the genealogy of Jesus. "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet" means that he will not let go of what he has obtained. The birthright is hard-won! Although obtained by default, although only a lion's cub, once he seizes the prey, he crouches, he lies down like a lion; like a lioness, who dares to snatch it? Even if red lentil soup is offered again, it will have no effect. Nothing good here will work; he simply will not let go.

God truly loves such people. Picking up a bargain is also grace! I tell you the truth: it is not a common phenomenon for Chinese people to establish churches in Singapore. The first few who established churches ended up like that. I am the "fourth" in line. Now that it is my turn, I will grasp it firmly. I prayed to God, saying, "God! No need to look for a fifth!" I thank God! I will have a profound impact on the future era.

Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. (Genesis 49:11-12)

I firmly grasp the Mingding Destiny God has given me; no one can take it away. I will crouch like a lioness, lie down like a lion, the scepter will not depart, and the staff will not depart from between my feet. I will firmly grasp the spiritual authority God has given me, trample on the devil and the enemy in the spiritual world, and see God's power manifested in us. It is truly powerful. So when we begin to accomplish this, our eyes will be darker than wine, and our teeth whiter than milk. How wonderful! We will never give ourselves the opportunity to lose Mingding Destiny again.

The German evangelist Reinhard Bonnke preached in Africa. Every time he preached, millions of people believed and gathered. At times, there were even five million or eight million people. The scene was very prosperous. I cannot imagine how so many people managed the toilet issue. But Bonnke told a story that shocked me. When God spoke to him, He told him that he was not the first chosen, but the fourth. Bonnke asked God where the first three went. God said that the first three were disobedient and did not do what God told them to do. As a result, Bonnke said something to God that I particularly liked. He said, "God! No need to look for a fifth!" It is the same with me. No need to look for a fifth. I will do well according to God's word.

You must know that what I do is something that ordinary people cannot do. I once shared what I do with the pastors I know, and they all believed that it was impossible in their churches. Many years ago, I shared with some pastors what I wanted to do, and they said that I could build a church by doing that? Until today, they see me doing it, and they still think it is impossible. What I do is to bless every brother and sister who comes among us. This is difficult for ordinary people, but it is not particularly difficult. The brothers and sisters among us are very serious about reading God's word. We have prayer meetings every day, and I see many people coming. Wednesday and Friday Bible studies, as well as Sunday services, are held every day, without stopping for a week.

This is impossible for ordinary people, but I have already accomplished it, so it is possible. Moreover, I may not even let those who are waiting outside come in, so if you have managed to get in, cherish this opportunity. And our church has another characteristic: they cannot be driven away. Other churches, as long as members leave, the pastor will visit their homes to persuade them to return. In our church, no one stops you from leaving, so if you have managed to get in, cherish it. I do not desperately pull people in like other churches, but desperately push them out.

If you have not been pushed out, give yourself a round of applause because you are truly someone special. Also, our church has a great characteristic: people in our church save a lifetime of medical expenses, and prayers are all effective. Having said that, everyone should know that only one thing is not effective, and that is when the time of death arrives. There is a time to be born, and a time to die. We cannot stop the time of death from arriving. Do not think that I am satisfied with obtaining and not losing. Doing what Judah did, picking up a bargain, is meaningless. I want to be Joseph; I want to obtain blessings that surpass Israel.

Obtaining Blessings That Surpass Israel

The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, with the bounty of the age-old mountains, the precious things of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who is set apart from his brothers. (Genesis 49:26)

Here, "your father" refers to Israel. Israel, Jacob, was a very powerful person. If you have Jacob's character, it will be extraordinary. But later, there was someone even more powerful than Jacob, and that person was Joseph. In other words, in spiritual status, do not be satisfied today. So in Chinese Mingding Destiny, there is a concept called striving diligently.

Sometimes, to encourage our co-workers, I ask them if they have seen how tired I am. Sometimes, I am truly exhausted, but from the outside, I still walk with elegance. The energy inside me, once I am determined, is truly a bit of a character. I have a strong ability to withstand pressure. If I put the burden on my shoulders on your shoulders, you may not be able to handle it. When I obtain the authority of the Lord Jesus and the birthright, I am still not satisfied. I want to become Joseph; I want to surpass Israel.

Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. (Genesis 49:22)

"His branches run over the wall" means giving everything away. Passersby can freely pick fruit to eat. Chinese Mingding Destiny has a characteristic: it does not care about money and is not short of money. It is not because we are not short of money, but because we want to be branches that run over the wall, wanting to bless those who are unrelated to me. As long as he is still a person, I really want to bless him. In the past few years, I have often thought about how I can give away, while some people think about how they can charge fees. Some people charge fees for participating in activities, but in our midst, everything is given away for free.

Many years ago, I was actually very poor. At that time, I donated all my money, and other properties were taken away. But as long as people came to me, I would treat them well. During that time, I owed about 100,000 yuan in credit card debt, which I only paid off many years later. There were struggles at that time, but I still acted as a branch that ran over the wall, blessing people, giving away freely what I had freely received.

In our midst, many people have received freely from me. There is a sister among us who, after losing her job and almost unable to survive, I subsidized her. Do not think that I am subsidizing you because I am very rich. I am determined to be a branch that runs over the wall. It is not giving away what I have freely received, but giving away freely first, and then receiving freely. This is the heart of Joseph.

During those years, some words would bring tears to my eyes, but walking on the street, I was definitely a hero who walked with the wind. That is me. Until today, I still uphold this logic, acting as a branch that runs over the wall, willing to let those who come freely receive. Some pastors are not poor themselves, but they are very stingy. When they come to my office and see books, they want to take them away. People who are stingy in their hearts cannot achieve great things. Those books were all bought by me, and they would take one away every time they came.

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. (Genesis 49:23-25)

I am often injured too, it is really not an exaggeration. But my hands never give in, my bow remains unmoved, and my arms are made agile. Everyone who has worked with me knows that they may not be able to outwork me in physical labor. If you do not believe me, you can try. The hand that blesses people never softens. The Stone of Israel, the Mighty One of Jacob, my God will help me.

When I talk about God helping me, my tears almost flow down. There is an energy inside me, which is to bless people. I will never give up until I bless people. Everyone is welcome to Chinese Mingding Destiny. What you obtain is free. Do you want to be such a person? If you are such a person, you will also declare there that the Stone of Israel, the Mighty One of Jacob, our God will help us. The Almighty will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

Chinese Mingding Destiny has a very important word called pastoring. God has given us the grace of pastoring, which is to nurture well after giving birth. I hate people who say that their gift is evangelism, and then they do not pastor after evangelizing. This kind of practice of only giving birth but not nurturing is called being a rogue, and I look down on such people. I not only nurture well what I give birth to myself, but I also nurture well what I do not give birth to myself. If you encounter those who only evangelize and do not nurture well in the future, stay away from them.

Do not think that I am criticizing any pastor. I am just talking about a phenomenon. Once, I met a pastor who asked me to serve the cancer patients in their church. When they encountered someone who needed service, they sent them to me to serve, but why did they not think of sending the offerings to me? My words may be quite harsh, but when I asked this question, the pastor shamelessly said that it was because I had the gift of healing.

I said that serving the members of his church was not a problem, but I required him to serve with me. When the pastor heard this, he slipped away, unable to pay the price. I am willing to pay the price for those whom I did not give birth to, but he himself is unwilling to pay the price for those whom he gave birth to.

The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, with the bounty of the age-old mountains, the precious things of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who is set apart from his brothers. (Genesis 49:26)

There are not many pastors like me in this world. Even if I just tell some pastors what I do, it seems impossible to them. I am a different person, completely different from them. I have my own set of ways. It would be amazing if people could believe in my set of ways.

This earth, from east to west, from south to north, to the ends of the earth, is all our territory. I want to bless the people on earth who can be blessed. The blessings that Israel received in this era, the blessings that Abraham gave to Isaac, and the blessings that Isaac gave to Jacob, are not as good as the blessings that Jacob gave to Joseph. Because the bounty of the age-old mountains, the precious things of the everlasting hills, these blessings will descend on my head.

I have this faith, and so do you. No matter how small our voices are, in this universe, in this spiritual world, the power of the devil will be completely shaken. We must be a different person. Among the Christians around you, you are an unusual Christian because you are listening to an unusual sermon, and you are eager to be Joseph. It is not just obtaining the birthright, but surpassing it. The whole earth is ours. Thank God for giving us such a determination.

Yesterday, a former colleague contacted me. I told him that what I am going to do is unusual and will bring a transformation to the Christian industry in the future. Some people say that Martin Luther did that, but what I am doing is much bigger than what Martin Luther did. If I am going to do it, I will do it big. I want to build an entire ecosystem, create a platform. I will borrow these big nouns. I want to be Joseph. As for Jacob's other sons, forget it. There is no point in talking about them.

When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. (Genesis 49:33)

Those who are gathered to their people, if they look down on us from heaven, it will be like a play. Today, when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob look down, they will applaud us. When I preached some time ago, someone said that 144,000 people did not sound like much. Now we have a challenge: it seems not easy to find 144,000 Josephs in this world.

May God remember me and be gracious to me. May the price I have paid be remembered by God. May the bounty of the age-old mountains, the precious things of the everlasting hills, all these blessings descend on our heads. Amen!

May God bless everyone!

Genesis Chapter 49 Scripture

49:1 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.
49:2 “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.
49:3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
49:4 Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!
49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords.
49:6 Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.
49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
49:8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you.
49:9 Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches, he lies down like a lion; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?
49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
49:11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
49:12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
49:13 “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon.
49:14 “Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds.
49:15 He saw that the resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor.
49:16 “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
49:17 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.
49:18 “I wait for your salvation, O Lord.
49:19 “Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels.
49:20 “Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.
49:21 “Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns.
49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.
49:23 The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely,
49:24 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),
49:25 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.
49:26 The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, with the bounty of the age-old mountains, the precious things of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who is set apart from his brothers.
49:27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.”
49:28 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.
49:29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
49:30 in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought, with the field, from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place.
49:31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah—
49:32 the field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”
49:33 When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.