Genesis 49:3-28

3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and 1the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.42Uncontrollable as water, you shall not have preeminence, 3Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it--he went up to my couch.

5“4Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their 5swords are implements of violence.66May my soul not enter into their council; May my glory not be united with their assembly; For in their anger they killed 7men, And in their self-will they lamed 8oxen.7Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. 9I will scatter them in Jacob, And disperse them among Israel.

8“As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; 10Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.9Judah is a 11lion’s cub; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. 12He 13crouches, he lies down as a lion, And as a 14lion, who 15dares to stir him up?1016The scepter will not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, 17Until Shiloh comes, And 18to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.1119He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; 20He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.12His eyes are 21dull from wine, And his teeth 22white from milk.

13“23Zebulun will reside at the seashore; And he shall be 24a harbor for ships, And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14“Issachar is a 25strong donkey, 26Lying down between the sheepfolds.15When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to carry burdens, And became a slave at forced labor.

16“27Dan shall 28judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.17Dan shall be a serpent in the way, A horned viper in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, So that its rider falls backward.1829For Your salvation I wait, Lord.

19“30As for Gad, a band of raiders shall attack him, But he will attack at their 31heels.

20“3233As for 34Asher, his 35food shall be 36rich, And he will yield royal delicacies.

21“37Naphtali is a doe let loose; He utters beautiful words.

22“38Joseph is a fruitful 39branch, A fruitful 40branch by a spring; Its 41branches hang over a wall.23The archers provoked him, And shot at him and were hostile toward him;24But his 42bow remained 43firm, And 4445his arms were agile, From the hands of the 46Mighty One of Jacob (From there is 47the Shepherd, 48the Stone of Israel),25From 49the God of your father who helps you, And 5051by the 52Almighty who blesses you With 53blessings 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 54furthest boundary of 55the everlasting hills; May they be on the head of Joseph, And on the top of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

27“Benjamin is a 56ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoils.”

28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them 57when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one 58with the blessing appropriate to him.