Jacob Blesses His Sons

1Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the latter days.”

2Gather yourselves and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to Israel your father.

3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the firstfruits of my vigor, excelling in honor and excelling in power.

4Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.

5Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords.

6Let my soul not enter their council; let my honor not be joined to their assembly. For in their anger they killed a man, and in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.

7Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is harsh. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

8Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; the sons of your father will bow down to you.

9Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouched, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness—who will rouse him?

10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him will be the obedience of the peoples.

11Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine, and his robe in the blood of grapes.

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