49 Then Yacob called for all his sons and said, “Gather together, and I’ll reveal to you what will happen to you all in the years ahead.

2 Gather around and listen you sons of Yacob,

≈listen to your father Yisra’el.

3 Reuben you’re my eldest,

≈my power and the beginning of my strength.

With excellence in dignity,

≈and excelling in power.

4 But you’re destructive like strong waters.

You climbed into my bed (with my slave wife).

≈You got onto my couch and defiled it.

5 Simeon and Levi are alike.

Their swords are weapons of violence.

6 Don’t let my thoughts enter into their discussion.

≈Don’t let my honour join in their assembly.

They killed a man in their anger,

≈and they hamstrung an ox just for their pleasure.

7 Their fierce anger is cursed,

≈and their severe anger is determined.

I will divide them out among Yacob’s descendants,

≈and scatter them across Yisra’el.

8 Yehuda, you’ll be praised by your brothers.

You’ll be a powerful force against your enemies.

Your father’s sons will bow down to you.

9 Yehudah is a lion cub.[ref]

My son, you’ve stood up after feasting on your prey.

He stretches and lies down like a lion.

As with a lioness, who will dare wake him?

10 Yehudah will never leave the ruling position,

≈nor will his descendants be without the ruler’s staff,

until the messiah arrives

and the people groups obey him.

11 He’ll tie his donkey to the grapevine,[fn]

≈and the donkey’s colt to the best branch.

He’ll wash his clothes in wine

≈and his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes will be darker than wine,

≈and his teeth will be white from milk.

13 Zebulun will settle near the coast,

and be like a safe harbour for ships.

His border will extend up to Tsidon.

14 Issachar is a strong donkey

lying down between the sheep pens.[fn]

15 He’ll see that his resting place is good

and that the land is pleasant.

He’ll strain his shoulders to carry a burden.

≈He’ll be forced to labour for others.

16 Dan (which means ‘judge’) will judge his people

like one of Yisra’el’s tribes.

17 He’ll be a snake beside the road,

≈a viper on the path,

that bites a horse’s heels

and its rider falls backwards.

18 Yahweh, I’m waiting for you to save us.

19 Gad will be attacked by riders,

but he’ll attack them from behind.

20 Asher will enjoy delicious food,

and he’ll provide delicacies for a king.

21 Naftali is a doe that’s been untied.

He says beautiful words.[fn]

22 Yosef is part of a fruit-bearing vine—

≈part of a fruit-bearing vine at a spring.

His branches will climb over the wall.

23 Expert archers will attack him,

and shoot and harass him.

24 But his bow will stay steady

≈and his arms will be made agile

by the hands of the mighty one of Yacob,

≈because of the shepherd who’s Yisra’el’s rock,

25 by the God of your father, and he will help you,

and with the provider,

and he will bless you with blessings from the heavens above

blessings of the deep that lies below,

and blessings of breasts and womb.

26 I’ve been blessed more than my ancestors were—

even with being gifted those ancient hills.

May those blessings now transfer to Yosef—

the one who was separated from all his brothers.

27 Benyamin is a ravenous wolf.

In the morning he devours his prey,

≈and in the evening he divides the plunder.

28 Those are Yisra’el’s twelve sons (that led to the twelve tribes) and that’s what their father said to them from his bed as he blessed each one of them—each one blessed appropriately.