Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s.

“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”

So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come:

Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch, and defiled it.

Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.

May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim.

Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.

Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.

He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.

Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

I await Your salvation, O LORD.

Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels.