3Reuben, my firstborn, my strength,

the first fruit of my maturity,

In your honor and power you are above your brethren!

4You are irrepressible, like the element of water,

but know that you will no longer be the first[387],

if thou hast laid down on thy father's marriage bed

and he defiled it.

He dared to lie down on my bed!

5Simeon and Levi, brothers of the same spirit!

Their swords[388] are the instruments of cruelty.

6I do not want to be a participant in their intentions

And let me not be numbered among them in a fit of anger they kill men,

From whim[389] they cripple bulls.

7Let their wrath be accursed, for it is cruel;

and their wrath, for it is merciless;

I will scatter them among the children of Jacob,390

I will scatter among the descendants of Israel[391]b.

8Judas, they will praise you, brethren!

You will put your enemies to flight[393]b,

and thy father's sons shall bow down before thee in obedience.

9Judas is a young lion,

Thou hast just stood over thy prey, my son;

And now he stretched out and lay down like a lion,

as the king of beasts, and who would dare to disturb him?

10The scepter will be in the hand of Judas[395]a

and the ruler's rod is at his feet;

until He comes, Who will bring rest[396] to people,

Whom the nations will obey.

11 Judas bindeth his ass to the vine

and the colt – to the best vine.

He rinses his clothes in wine,

their vestments are in the blood of bunches of grapes.

12His eyes are darker wines,

His teeth are whiter than milk. [397]

13Zebulun will dwell on the seashore,