Genesis 49:3-27

New International Version

³ “Reuben, you are my firstborn,^(A)
    my might, the first sign of my strength,^(B)
    excelling in honor,^(C) excelling in power.
⁴ Turbulent as the waters,^(D) you will no longer excel,
    for you went up onto your father’s bed,
    onto my couch and defiled it.^(E)

⁵ “Simeon^(F) and Levi^(G) are brothers—
    their swords^[a] are weapons of violence.^(H)
6 Let me not enter their council,
    let me not join their assembly,^(I)
for they have killed men in their anger^(J)
    and hamstrung^(K) oxen as they pleased.
⁷ Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
    and their fury,^(L) so cruel!^(M)
I will scatter them in Jacob
    and disperse them in Israel.^(N)

⁸ “Judah,^[b](O) your brothers will praise you;
    your hand will be on the neck^(P) of your enemies;
    your father’s sons will bow down to you.^(Q)
9 You are a lion’s^(R) cub,^(S) Judah;^(T)
    you return from the prey,^(U) 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,^(V)
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,^[c]
until he to whom it belongs^[d] shall come^(W)
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his.^(X)
11 He will tether his donkey^(Y) to a vine,
    his colt to the choicest branch;^(Z)
he will wash his garments in wine,
    his robes in the blood of grapes.^(AA)
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
    his teeth whiter than milk.^[e](AB)

¹³ “Zebulun^(AC) will live by the seashore
    and become a haven for ships;
    his border will extend toward Sidon.^(AD)

¹⁴ “Issachar^(AE) is a rawboned^[f] donkey
    lying down among the sheep pens.^[g](AF)
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
    and how pleasant is his land,^(AG)
he will bend his shoulder to the burden^(AH)
    and submit to forced labor.^(AI)

¹⁶ “Dan^[h](AJ) will provide justice for his people
    as one of the tribes of Israel.^(AK)
17 Dan^(AL) will be a snake by the roadside,
    a viper along the path,^(AM)
that bites the horse’s heels^(AN)
    so that its rider tumbles backward.

¹⁸ “I look for your deliverance,^(AO) Lord.^(AP)

¹⁹ “Gad^[i](AQ) will be attacked by a band of raiders,
    but he will attack them at their heels.^(AR)

²⁰ “Asher’s^(AS) food will be rich;^(AT)
    he will provide delicacies fit for a king.^(AU)

²¹ “Naphtali^(AV) is a doe set free
    that bears beautiful fawns.^[j](AW)

²² “Joseph^(AX) is a fruitful vine,^(AY)
    a fruitful vine near a spring,
    whose branches^(AZ) climb over a wall.^[k]
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;^(BA)
    they shot at him with hostility.^(BB)
24 But his bow remained steady,^(BC)
    his strong arms^(BD) stayed^[l] limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,^(BE)
    because of the Shepherd,^(BF) the Rock of Israel,^(BG)
25 because of your father’s God,^(BH) who helps^(BI) you,
    because of the Almighty,^[m](BJ) who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
    blessings of the deep springs below,^(BK)
    blessings of the breast^(BL) and womb.^(BM)
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
    than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
    than^[n] the bounty of the age-old hills.^(BN)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,^(BO)
    on the brow of the prince among^[o] his brothers.^(BP)

²⁷ “Benjamin^(BQ) is a ravenous wolf;^(BR)
    in the morning he devours the prey,^(BS)
    in the evening he divides the plunder.”^(BT)