1 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.

2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons
of Jacob.
Listen to Israel, your father.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might,
and the beginning of my strength,
excelling in dignity, and excelling in
power.

4 Boiling over like water, you shall not
excel, because you went up to your father’s
bed, then defiled it. He went up to my
couch.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.
Their swords are weapons of violence.

6 My soul, don’t come into their council.
My glory, don’t be united to their assembly;
for in their anger they killed men.
In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.

7 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.

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
Your hand will be on the neck of your
enemies.
Your father’s sons will bow down before you.

9 Judah is a lion’s cub.
From the prey, my son, you have gone
up.
He stooped down, he crouched as a lion,
as a lioness.
Who will rouse him up?

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his
feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs.
The obedience ofthe peoples will be to
him.

11 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.

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

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

14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,
lying down between the saddlebags.

15 He saw a resting place, that it was good,
the land, that it was pleasant.
He bows his shoulder to the burden,
and becomes a servant doing forced
labor.

16 “Dan will judge his people,
as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 Dan will be a serpent on the trail,
an adder in the path,
that bites the horse’s heels,
so that his rider falls backward.