1 And Jacob called his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, and I will declare to you what will happen to you in the days to come;

2 Come together and hear, O sons of Jacob, hear Israel your father.

3 Reuben, my firstborn! Thou art my strength, and the firstfruits of my strength, the height of dignity and the height of might;

4 But thou hast raged like water, thou shalt not prevail, for thou hast ascended upon thy father's bed, thou hast defiled my bed, on which thou hast ascended.

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers, their swords are instruments of cruelty;

6 Let not my soul enter into their counsel, and let not my glory be joined to their assembly: for in their anger they killed a man, and cut the sinews of the calf at their wit.

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

8 Judas! Thy brethren shall praise thee. Thy hand is on the backbone of thy enemies; Thy father's sons shall worship thee.

9 The young lion Judah, from the prey, my son, rises. He bowed down, lay down like a lion and like a lioness: who will lift him up?

10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from his loins, until the Mediator comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the nations.

11 He binds his colt to the vine, and to the vine of the best vine the son of his donkey; he washes his garments in wine, and his garments in the blood of the grapes;

12 His eyes are shining with wine, and his teeth are white with milk.

13 And Zebulun shall dwell by the sea-shore, and by the harbor thereof, and the border thereof shall be as far as Sidon.

14 Issachar is a strong ass, lying among the streams of waters;