Jacob Blesses His Sons

49:1–28Ref—Dt 33:1–29

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.v

2 “Assemblew and listen, sons of Jacob;

listen to your father Israel.x

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,y

my might, the first sign of my strength,z

excelling in honor,a excelling in power.

4 Turbulent as the waters,b you will no longer excel,

for you went up onto your father’s bed,

onto my couch and defiled it.c

5 “Simeond and Levie are brothers—

their swordsa are weapons of violence.f

6 Let me not enter their council,

let me not join their assembly,g

for they have killed men in their angerh

and hamstrungi oxen as they pleased.

7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,

and their fury,j so cruel!k

I will scatter them in Jacob

and disperse them in Israel.l

8 “Judah,b m your brothers will praise you;

your hand will be on the neckn of your enemies;

your father’s sons will bow down to you.o

9 You are a lion’sp cub,q Judah;r

you return from the prey,s my son.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down,

like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,t

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,c

until he to whom it belongsd shall comeu

and the obedience of the nations shall be his.v

11 He will tether his donkeyw to a vine,

his colt to the choicest branch;x

he will wash his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.y

12 His eyes will be darker than wine,

his teeth whiter than milk.e z