8. “Judah, your brothers will praise you.You hold your enemies by the neck.Your brothers will bow down before you.
9. Judah is like a lion,Killing his victim and returning to his den,Stretching out and lying down.No one dares disturb him.
10. Judah will hold the royal sceptre,And his descendants will always rule.Nations will bring him tributeAnd bow in obedience before him.
11. He ties his young donkey to a grapevine,To the very best of the vines.He washes his clothes in blood-red wine.
12. His eyes are bloodshot from drinking wine,His teeth white from drinking milk.
13. “Zebulun will live beside the sea.His shore will be a haven for ships.His territory will reach as far as Sidon.
14. “Issachar is no better than a donkeyThat lies stretched out between its saddlebags.
15. But he sees that the resting place is goodAnd that the land is delightful.So he bends his back to carry the loadAnd is forced to work as a slave.
16. “Dan will be a ruler for his people.They will be like the other tribes of Israel.
17. Dan will be a snake at the side of the road,A poisonous snake beside the path,That strikes at the horse's heel,So that the rider is thrown off backwards.
18. “I wait for your deliverance, Lord.
19. “Gad will be attacked by a band of robbers,But he will turn and pursue them.
20. “Asher's land will produce rich food.He will provide food fit for a king.
21. “Naphtali is a deer that runs free,Who bears lovely fawns.
22. “Joseph is like a wild donkey by a spring,A wild colt on a hillside.
23. His enemies attack him fiercelyAnd pursue him with their bows and arrows.
24. But his bow remains steady,And his arms are made strongBy the power of the Mighty God of Jacob,By the Shepherd, the Protector of Israel.
25. It is your father's God who helps you,The Almighty God who blesses youWith blessings of rain from aboveAnd of deep waters from beneath the ground,Blessings of many cattle and children,