1. Then Jacob called his sons to him. He said, “Come here to me, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the future.
2. “Come together and listen, sons of Jacob.Listen to Israel, your father.”
3. “Reuben, my first son, you are my strength.Your birth showed I could be a father.You have the highest position among my sons,and you are the most powerful.
4. But you are uncontrolled like water,so you will no longer lead your brothers.This is because you got into your father’s bedand shamed me by having sexual relations with my slave girl.
5. “Simeon and Levi are brotherswho used their swords to do violence.
6. I will not join their secret talks,and I will not meet with them to plan evil.They killed men because they were angry,and they crippled oxen just for fun.
7. May their anger be cursed, because it is too violent.May their violence be cursed, because it is too cruel.I will divide them up among the tribes of Jacoband scatter them through all the tribes of Israel.
8. “Judah, your brothers will praise you.You will grab your enemies by the neck,and your brothers will bow down to you.
9. Judah is like a young lion.You have returned from killing, my son.Like a lion, he stretches out and lies down to rest,and no one is brave enough to wake him.
10. Kings will come from Judah’s family;someone from Judah will always be on the throne.Judah will rule until Shiloh comes,and the nations will obey him.
11. He ties his donkey to a grapevine,his young donkey to the best branch.He can afford to use wine to wash his clothesand the best wine to wash his robes.