1. Jacob called to his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, so that I may tell you what will befall you in the last days.
2. Gather yourselves together and hear, sons of Jacob,and listen to your father Israel.
3. Reuben, you are my firstborn,my might and the beginning of my strength,the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power.
4. Unstable as water, you shall not excel,because you went up to your father’s bed;then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.
5. Simeon and Levi are brothers;weapons of violence are their swords.
6. Let my soul not enter into their council;let my glory not be united with their assembly;for in their anger they killed menand in their self-will they hamstrung oxen.
7. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;and their wrath, for it is cruel!I will divide them in Jacoband scatter them in Israel.
8. Judah, your brothers shall praise you;your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;your father’s sons will bow down before you.
9. Judah is a lion’s cub;from the prey, my son, you have goneup.He crouches and lies down like a lion;and as a lion, who dares rouse him?