1. Jacob summoned his sons and said, "Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the coming days.
2. Assemble yourselves and listen, sons of Jacob;listen to Israel your father.
3. Reuben, you are my oldest son,my strength and my first contender,superior in status and superior in might.
4. As wild as the waters, you won’t endure,for you went up to your father’s bed,you went up and violated my couch.
5. Simeon and Levi are brothers,weapons of violence their stock in trade.
6. May I myself never enter their council.May my honor never be linked to their group;for when they were angry, they killed men,and whenever they wished, they maimed oxen.
7. Cursed be their anger; it is violent,their rage; it is relentless.I’ll divide them up within Jacoband disperse them within Israel.
8. Judah, you are the one your brothers will honor;your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9. Judah is a lion’s cub;from the prey, my son, you rise up.He lies down and crouches like a lion;like a lioness—who dares disturb him?
10. The scepter won’t depart from Judah,nor the ruler’s staff from among his banners.Gifts will be brought to him;people will obey him.
11. He ties his male donkey to the vine,the colt of his female donkey to the vine’s branches.He washes his clothes in wine,his garments in the blood of grapes.
12. His eyes are darker than wine,and his teeth whiter than milk.
13. Zebulun will live at the seashore;he’ll live at the harbor of ships,his border will be at Sidon.
14. Issachar is a sturdy donkey,bedding down beside the village hearths.