6 Let Reuben live and not die,
nor [1] his men be few.”
7 And concerning Judah he said:
“O LORD, hear the cry of Judah
and bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause,
but may You be a help against his foes.”
8 Concerning Levi he said:
“Give Your Thummim to Levi
and Your Urim to Your godly one,[2]
whom You tested at Massah [3]
and contested at the waters of Meribah.[4]
9 He said of his father and mother,
‘I do not consider them.’
He disregarded his brothers
and did not know his own sons,
for he kept [5] Your word
and maintained Your covenant.
10 He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob
and Your law to Israel;
he will set incense before You
and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11 Bless his substance, O LORD,
and accept the work of his hands.
Smash the loins of those who rise against him,
and of his foes so they can rise no more.”
12 Concerning Benjamin he said:
“May the beloved of the LORD
rest secure in Him;
God shields [6] him all day long,
and upon His shoulders he rests.”
13 Concerning Joseph he said:
“May his land be blessed by the LORD
with the precious dew from heaven above
and the deep waters that lie beneath,
14 with the bountiful harvest from the sun
and the abundant yield of the seasons,
15 with the best of the ancient mountains
and the bounty of the everlasting hills,
16 with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it,
and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph
and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.
17 His majesty is like a firstborn bull,
and his horns are like those of a wild ox.
With them he will gore the nations,
even to the ends of the earth.
Such are the myriads of Ephraim,
and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 Concerning Zebulun he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys,
and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will call the peoples to a mountain;
there they will offer sacrifices of righteousness.
For they will feast on the abundance of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.”
20 Concerning Gad he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges
the domain of Gad!
He lies down like a lion
and tears off an arm or a head.
21 He chose the best land for himself,
because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there.
- ↑ 6 Or but let
- ↑ 8 DSS and LXX; MT does not include to Levi; literally Let Your Perfections and Your Lights be to Your godly one.
- ↑ 8 Massah means testing; see Exodus 17:7.
- ↑ 8 Meribah means quarreling; see Exodus 17:7.
- ↑ 9 Hebrew they kept, most likely referring to Levi in the plural; similarly twice in verse 10
- ↑ 12 LXX; Hebrew He shields
