Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

And Joseph seeth that his father setteth his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it is wrong in his eyes, and he supporteth the hand of his father to turn it aside from off the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh;

and Joseph saith unto his father, `Not so, my father, for this is the first-born; set thy right hand on his head.'

And his father refuseth, and saith, `I have known, my son, I have known; he also becometh a people, and he also is great, and yet, his young brother is greater than he, and his seed is the fulness of the nations;'

and he blesseth them in that day, saying, `By thee doth Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh;' and he setteth Ephraim before Manasseh.

And Israel saith unto Joseph, `Lo, I am dying, and God hath been with you, and hath brought you back unto the land of your fathers;

and I--I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.'

And Jacob calleth unto his sons and saith, `Be gathered together, and I declare to you that which doth happen with you in the latter end of the days.

`Be assembled, and hear, sons of Jacob, And hearken unto Israel your father.

Reuben! my first-born thou, My power, and beginning of my strength, The abundance of exaltation, And the abundance of strength;

Unstable as water, thou art not abundant; For thou hast gone up thy father's bed; Then thou hast polluted: My couch he went up!

Simeon and Levi are brethren! Instruments of violence--their espousals!

Into their secret, come not, O my soul! Unto their assembly be not united, O mine honour; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will eradicated a prince.

Cursed is their anger, for it is fierce, And their wrath, for it is sharp; I divide them in Jacob, And I scatter them in Israel.

Judah! thou--thy brethren praise thee! Thy hand is on the neck of thine enemies, Sons of thy father bow themselves to thee.

A lion's whelp is Judah, For prey, my son, thou hast gone up; He hath bent, he hath crouched as a lion, And as a lioness; who causeth him to arise?

The sceptre turneth not aside from Judah, And a lawgiver from between his feet, Till his Seed come; And his is the obedience of peoples.

Binding to the vine his ass, And to the choice vine the colt of his ass, He hath washed in wine his clothing, And in the blood of grapes his covering;

Red are eyes with wine, And white are teeth with milk!

Zebulun at a haven of the seas doth dwell, And he is for a haven of ships; And his side is unto Zidon.

Issacher is a strong ass, Crouching between the two folds;

And he seeth rest that it is good, And the land that it is pleasant, And he inclineth his shoulder to bear, And is to tribute a servant.

Dan doth judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel;

Dan is a serpent by the way, An adder by the path, Which is biting the horse's heels, And its rider falleth backward.

For Thy salvation I have waited, Jehovah!

Gad! a troop assaulteth him, But he assaulteth last.