³ “Reuben, my first son, you are my strength,
    the first proof of my manhood.
You were the most honored
    and powerful of all my sons.
⁴ But your passion was like a flood you couldn’t control.
    So you will not remain my most honored son.
You climbed into your father’s bed
    and slept with one of his wives.
You brought shame to my bed,
    to the bed you lay on.

⁵ “Simeon and Levi are brothers.
    They are violent with their swords.
⁶ I will not join their secret meetings.
    I will not take part in their evil plans.
They have killed people out of anger
    and crippled animals for fun.
⁷ Their anger is so strong that it is a curse.
    They are too cruel when they are angry.
They will not get their own land in the land of Jacob.
    They will be spread throughout Israel.

⁸ “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
    You will defeat your enemies.
    Your brothers will bow down to you.
⁹ Judah is like a young lion.
    My son, you are like a lion standing over the animal it killed.
Like a lion, Judah lies down to rest,
    and no one is brave enough to disturb him.
¹⁰ Men from Judah’s family will be kings.
    The sign that his family rules
will not leave his family before the real king comes.^[a]
    Then many people will obey and serve him.
¹¹ He ties his donkeys to the best grapevines.
    He washes his clothes in the best wine.
¹² His eyes are red from drinking wine.
    His teeth are white from drinking milk.^[b]

¹³ “Zebulun will live near the sea.
    His seacoast will be a safe place for ships.
    His land will continue as far as the city of Sidon.

¹⁴ “Issachar is like a donkey that has worked too hard.
    He will lie down under his heavy load.
¹⁵ He will see his land is pleasant
    and that his resting place is good.
But he will agree to carry heavy loads;
    he will agree to work as a slave.

¹⁶ “Dan^[c] will rule his people
    as one of the tribes of Israel.
¹⁷ Dan will be like a snake at the side of the road.
    He will be like a dangerous snake lying near the path.
That snake bites a horse’s foot,
    and the rider falls to the ground.

¹⁹ “A group of robbers will attack^[d] Gad,
    but Gad will chase them away.

²⁰ “Asher’s land will grow much good food.
    He will have food fit for a king!

²¹ “Naphtali is like a deer running free,
    and his words are beautiful.

²² “Joseph is like a wild donkey,
    like a young donkey by a spring,
    like colts grazing in a pasture.^[e]
23 People attacked him and made life hard for him.
    Men with arrows became his enemies.
²⁴ But he won the fight
    with his mighty bow and his skillful arms.
He gets power from the Mighty One of Jacob,
    from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
²⁵ the God of your father who helps you.
    May God All-Powerful bless you
and give you blessings
    from the sky above and from the deep below.
May he give you blessings
    from breast and womb.
²⁶ My parents had many good things happen to them.
    And I, your father, was blessed even more.
Your brothers left you with nothing.
    But now I pile all my blessings on you,
    as high as a mountain.

²⁷ “Benjamin is like a hungry wolf.
    In the morning he kills and eats.
    In the evening he shares what is left.”