Bible Verses About Patriarchal Government

Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, O my son, to the vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.

His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

Zabulon shall dwell on the seashore, and in the road of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.

Issachar shall be a strong ass, lying down between the borders.

He saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute.

Dan shall judge his people like another tribe in Israel.

Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, that his rider may fall backward.

I will look for thy salvation, O Lord.

Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward.

Aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to kings.

Nephthali, a hart let loose, and giving words of beauty.

Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold: the daughters run to and fro upon the wall;

But they that held darts, provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied him.

His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel.

The God of thy father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come: may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren.

Benjamin a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide the spoil.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed every one with their proper blessings.

And he charged them, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite,

Over against Mambre, in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought together with the field, of Ephron the Hethite, for a possession to bury in.

There they buried him, and Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried with Rebecca, his wife: there also Lia doth lie buried.

And when he had ended the commandments, wherewith he instructed his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was gathered to his people.

And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

Now the sons of Ruben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was his firstborn: but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his first birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and he was not accounted for the firstborn.

And when the days of their feasting were gone about, Job sent to them, and sanctified them: and rising up early, offered holocausts for every one of them. For he said: Lest perhaps my sons have sinned, and have blessed God in their hearts. So did Job all days.