9. Judah, my son, is a young lionthat has finished eating its prey.Like a lion he crouches and lies down;like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10. The scepter will not depart from Judah,nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,the one whom all nations will honor.
11. He ties his foal to a grapevine,the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.He washes his clothes in wine,his robes in the blood of grapes.
12. His eyes are darker than wine,and his teeth are whiter than milk.
13. “Zebulun will settle by the seashoreand will be a harbor for ships;his borders will extend to Sidon.
14. “Issachar is a sturdy donkey,resting between two saddlepacks.
15. When he sees how good the countryside isand how pleasant the land,he will bend his shoulder to the loadand submit himself to hard labor.
16. “Dan will govern his people,like any other tribe in Israel.
17. Dan will be a snake beside the road,a poisonous viper along the paththat bites the horse’s hoovesso its rider is thrown off.
18. I trust in you for salvation, O lord!
19. “Gad will be attacked by marauding bands,but he will attack them when they retreat.
20. “Asher will dine on rich foodsand produce food fit for kings.
21. “Naphtali is a doe set freethat bears beautiful fawns.
22. “Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey,the foal of a wild donkey at a spring—one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.
23. Archers attacked him savagely;they shot at him and harassed him.
24. But his bow remained taut,and his arms were strengthenedby the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
25. May the God of your father help you;may the Almighty bless youwith the blessings of the heavens above,and blessings of the watery depths below,and blessings of the breasts and womb.
26. May my fatherly blessings on yousurpass the blessings of my ancestors,reaching to the heights of the eternal hills.May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,who is a prince among his brothers.
27. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,devouring his enemies in the morningand dividing his plunder in the evening.”
28. These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.