Genesis 49:1-21 ▼

1 Then Jacob summoned his sons, and said: |Gather yourselves together so that I may tell you what 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 strength, and the the firstfruits of my virility, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

4 Uncontrolled as the waters, you will not have excel, because you went up to your father's bed, you went up and defiled my couch.

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

6 May I never enter their council. May my honor never be joined with their assembly. For in their anger they killed men, and for pleasure they hamstrung oxen.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it has been fierce, and their fury, 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 rise up. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, 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. And it is he whom the peoples will obey.

11 Binding his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine. He will wash his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes will be darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

13 Zebulun will dwell at the seashore, and he will be a harbor for ships, and his border will be at Sidon.

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

15 When he sees a good resting place, that the land is pleasant, he will bend his back to the burden, and become a slave doing forced labor.

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

17 Dan will be a serpent on the road, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that his rider falls backward.

18 I wait for your salvation, God.

19 Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will raid at their heels.

20 Asher’s food will be rich, and he will provide royal delicacies.

21 Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.