Genesis chapter 49.

Jacob blesses his sons.

Then Jacob called his sons and said,

Gather yourselves together that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.

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

Rubin, you are my firstborn, my might, and the first

fruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. Unstable as water, you shall not

have preeminence because you went up to your father's bed, then you defiled it. He went up to my

couch. Simeon and Levi are brothers. Weapons

of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their counsel. Oh, my glory, be not

joined to their company, for in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness, they

hamstrung oxen.

Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath for it is cruel.

I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

Judah, your brothers shall praise you.

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies.

Your father's sons shall bow down before you.

Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey,

my son, you have gone up. He stooped down. He crouched as a lion and as a lioness. Who dares

rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him, and to him shall be the

obedience of the peoples. Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine,

...