² “Assemble^(C) and listen, sons of Jacob;
    listen to your father Israel.^(D)

³ “Reuben, you are my firstborn,^(E)
    my might, the first sign of my strength,^(F)
    excelling in honor,^(G) excelling in power.
⁴ Turbulent as the waters,^(H) you will no longer excel,
    for you went up onto your father’s bed,
    onto my couch and defiled it.^(I)

⁵ “Simeon^(J) and Levi^(K) are brothers—
    their swords^[a] are weapons of violence.^(L)
6 Let me not enter their council,
    let me not join their assembly,^(M)
for they have killed men in their anger^(N)
    and hamstrung^(O) oxen as they pleased.
⁷ Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
    and their fury,^(P) so cruel!^(Q)
I will scatter them in Jacob
    and disperse them in Israel.^(R)

⁸ “Judah,^[b](S) your brothers will praise you;
    your hand will be on the neck^(T) of your enemies;
    your father’s sons will bow down to you.^(U)
9 You are a lion’s^(V) cub,^(W) Judah;^(X)
    you return from the prey,^(Y) 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,^(Z)
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,^[c]
until he to whom it belongs^[d] shall come^(AA)
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his.^(AB)
11 He will tether his donkey^(AC) to a vine,
    his colt to the choicest branch;^(AD)
he will wash his garments in wine,
    his robes in the blood of grapes.^(AE)
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
    his teeth whiter than milk.^[e](AF)

¹³ “Zebulun^(AG) will live by the seashore
    and become a haven for ships;
    his border will extend toward Sidon.^(AH)

¹⁴ “Issachar^(AI) is a rawboned^[f] donkey
    lying down among the sheep pens.^[g](AJ)
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
    and how pleasant is his land,^(AK)
he will bend his shoulder to the burden^(AL)
    and submit to forced labor.^(AM)

¹⁶ “Dan^[h](AN) will provide justice for his people
    as one of the tribes of Israel.^(AO)
17 Dan^(AP) will be a snake by the roadside,
    a viper along the path,^(AQ)
that bites the horse’s heels^(AR)
    so that its rider tumbles backward.

¹⁸ “I look for your deliverance,^(AS) Lord.^(AT)

¹⁹ “Gad^[i](AU) will be attacked by a band of raiders,
    but he will attack them at their heels.^(AV)

²⁰ “Asher’s^(AW) food will be rich;^(AX)
    he will provide delicacies fit for a king.^(AY)

²¹ “Naphtali^(AZ) is a doe set free
    that bears beautiful fawns.^[j](BA)

²² “Joseph^(BB) is a fruitful vine,^(BC)
    a fruitful vine near a spring,
    whose branches^(BD) climb over a wall.^[k]
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;^(BE)
    they shot at him with hostility.^(BF)
24 But his bow remained steady,^(BG)
    his strong arms^(BH) stayed^[l] limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,^(BI)
    because of the Shepherd,^(BJ) the Rock of Israel,^(BK)
25 because of your father’s God,^(BL) who helps^(BM) you,
    because of the Almighty,^[m](BN) who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
    blessings of the deep springs below,^(BO)
    blessings of the breast^(BP) and womb.^(BQ)
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
    than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
    than^[n] the bounty of the age-old hills.^(BR)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,^(BS)
    on the brow of the prince among^[o] his brothers.^(BT)

²⁷ “Benjamin^(BU) is a ravenous wolf;^(BV)
    in the morning he devours the prey,^(BW)
    in the evening he divides the plunder.”^(BX)

³ Lord, do not your eyes^(H) look for truth?
    You struck^(I) them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.^(J)
They made their faces harder than stone^(K)
    and refused to repent.^(L)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
    they are foolish,^(M)
for they do not know^(N) the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.
⁵ So I will go to the leaders^(O)
    and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
    and torn off the bonds.^(P)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest^(Q) will attack them,
    a wolf from the desert will ravage^(R) them,
a leopard^(S) will lie in wait near their towns
    to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
    and their backslidings many.^(T)

⁷ “Why should I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and sworn^(U) by gods that are not gods.^(V)
I supplied all their needs,
    yet they committed adultery^(W)
    and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.^(X)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for another man’s wife.^(Y)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”^(Z)
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge^(AA) myself
    on such a nation as this?

¹⁰ “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
    but do not destroy them completely.^(AB)
Strip off her branches,
    for these people do not belong to the Lord.
¹¹ The people of Israel and the people of Judah
    have been utterly unfaithful^(AC) to me,”
declares the Lord.

³ Though you probe my heart,^(G)
    though you examine me at night and test me,^(H)
you will find that I have planned no evil;^(I)
    my mouth has not transgressed.^(J)
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
    I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
⁵ My steps have held to your paths;^(K)
    my feet have not stumbled.^(L)

⁶ I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;^(M)
    turn your ear to me^(N) and hear my prayer.^(O)
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,^(P)
    you who save by your right hand^(Q)
    those who take refuge^(R) in you from their foes.
⁸ Keep me^(S) as the apple of your eye;^(T)
    hide me^(U) in the shadow of your wings^(V)
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.^(W)

¹⁰ They close up their callous hearts,^(X)
    and their mouths speak with arrogance.^(Y)
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,^(Z)
    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
¹² They are like a lion^(AA) hungry for prey,^(AB)
    like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

¹³ Rise up,^(AC) Lord, confront them, bring them down;^(AD)
    with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
¹⁴ By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world^(AE) whose reward is in this life.^(AF)
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
    may their children gorge themselves on it,
    and may there be leftovers^(AG) for their little ones.

¹⁵ As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
    when I awake,^(AH) I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.^(AI)