Genesis 49:1-7

English Standard Version

Jacob Blesses His Sons

49 ^(A)Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you ^(B)in days to come.

²“Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel your father.

³“Reuben, you are ^(C)my firstborn,
    my might, and the ^(D)firstfruits of my strength,
    preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
⁴Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence,
    because you ^(E)went up to your father's bed;
    then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!

⁵^(F)“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
    weapons ^(G)of violence are their swords.
⁶Let my soul come not into their council;
    ^(H)O my glory, ^(I)be not joined to their company.
For in their anger they killed men,
    and in their willfulness they ^(J)hamstrung oxen.
⁷Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,
    and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will ^(K)divide them in Jacob
    and scatter them in Israel.