Genesis 49:2-27

2Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And 1listen to Israel your father.

3“Reuben, you are my firstborn; My might and 2the beginning of my strength, 3Preeminent in dignity and 4preeminent in power.45Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, 6Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it--he went up to my couch.

5“7Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence.68Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew 9men, And in their self-will they lamed 10oxen.7Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. 11I will 12disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.

8“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; 13Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.9Judah is a 14lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. 15He 16couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a 17lion, who 18dares rouse him up?1019The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, 20Until Shiloh comes, And 21to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.112223He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; 24He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.12His eyes are 25dull from wine, And his teeth 26white from milk.

13“27Zebulun will dwell at the seashore; And he shall be 28a haven for ships, And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14“Issachar is 29a strong donkey, 30Lying down between the 31sheepfolds.15When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, And became a slave at forced labor.

16“32Dan shall 33judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.17Dan shall be a serpent in the way, A horned snake in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, So that his rider falls backward.1834For Your salvation I wait, O Lord.

19“35As for Gad, 36raiders shall raid him, But he will raid at their 37heels.

20“3839As for 40Asher, his 41food shall be 42rich, And he will yield royal dainties.

21“43Naphtali is a doe let loose, He gives beautiful words.

22“44Joseph is a fruitful 45bough, A fruitful 46bough by a spring; Its 47branches run over a wall.23The archers bitterly attacked him, And shot at him and harassed him;24But his 48bow remained 49firm, And 5051his arms were agile, From the hands of the 52Mighty One of Jacob (From there is 53the Shepherd, 54the Stone of Israel),25From 55the God of your father who helps you, And 5657by the 58Almighty who blesses you With 59blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.26The blessings of your father Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors Up to the 60utmost bound of 61the everlasting hills; May they be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

27“Benjamin is a 62ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoil.”