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)

⁶ “Let Reuben live and not die,
    nor^[a] his people be few.”^(A)

“Hear, Lord, the cry of Judah;
    bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
    Oh, be his help against his foes!”

“Your Thummim and Urim^(D) belong
    to your faithful servant.^(E)
You tested^(F) him at Massah;
    you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.^(G)
9 He said of his father and mother,^(H)
    ‘I have no regard for them.’
He did not recognize his brothers
    or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
    and guarded your covenant.^(I)
10 He teaches^(J) your precepts to Jacob
    and your law to Israel.^(K)
He offers incense before you^(L)
    and whole burnt offerings on your altar.^(M)
11 Bless all his skills, Lord,
    and be pleased with the work of his hands.^(N)
Strike down those who rise against him,
    his foes till they rise no more.”

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,^(P)
    for he shields him all day long,^(Q)
    and the one the Lord loves^(R) rests between his shoulders.^(S)”

“May the Lord bless his land
    with the precious dew from heaven above
    and with the deep waters that lie below;^(U)
14 with the best the sun brings forth
    and the finest the moon can yield;
¹⁵ with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains^(V)
    and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
¹⁶ with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
    and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.^(W)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
    on the brow of the prince among^[b] his brothers.^(X)
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
    his horns^(Y) are the horns of a wild ox.^(Z)
With them he will gore^(AA) the nations,
    even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;^(AB)
    such are the thousands of Manasseh.^(AC)”

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
    and you, Issachar,^(AE) in your tents.
¹⁹ They will summon peoples to the mountain^(AF)
    and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;^(AG)
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,^(AH)
    on the treasures hidden in the sand.”

“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!^(AJ)
    Gad lives there like a lion,
    tearing at arm or head.
²¹ He chose the best land for himself;^(AK)
    the leader’s portion was kept for him.^(AL)
When the heads of the people assembled,
    he carried out the Lord’s righteous will,^(AM)
    and his judgments concerning Israel.”

“Dan is a lion’s cub,
    springing out of Bashan.”

“Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord
    and is full of his blessing;
    he will inherit southward to the lake.”

“Most blessed of sons is Asher;
    let him be favored by his brothers,
    and let him bathe his feet in oil.^(AQ)
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,^(AR)
    and your strength will equal your days.^(AS)

²⁶ “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,^(AT)
    who rides^(AU) across the heavens to help you^(AV)
    and on the clouds^(AW) in his majesty.^(AX)
27 The eternal^(AY) God is your refuge,^(AZ)
    and underneath are the everlasting^(BA) arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,^(BB)
    saying, ‘Destroy them!’^(BC)
28 So Israel will live in safety;^(BD)
    Jacob will dwell^[c] secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
    where the heavens drop dew.^(BE)
29 Blessed are you, Israel!^(BF)
    Who is like you,^(BG)
    a people saved by the Lord?^(BH)
He is your shield and helper^(BI)
    and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
    and you will tread on their heights.^(BJ)”