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However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, then one family of Judah, that of my father; and finally, among all the sons of my father, it pleased him to make me king over all Israel.(A)

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“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me(A) from my whole family(B) to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah(C) as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.(D)

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“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
    —your hand on the neck of your enemies;
    the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah is a lion’s cub,
    you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches, lies down like a lion,
    like a lioness—who would dare rouse him?(A)
10 The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
    or the mace from between his feet,
Until tribute comes to him,[a]
    and he receives the people’s obedience.
11 He tethers his donkey to the vine,
    his donkey’s foal to the choicest stem.
In wine he washes his garments,
    his robe in the blood of grapes.[b]
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
    and his teeth are whiter than milk.

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Footnotes

  1. 49:10 Until tribute comes to him: this translation is based on a slight change in the Hebrew text, which, as it stands, would seem to mean, “until he comes to Shiloh.” A somewhat different reading of the Hebrew text would be, “until he comes to whom it belongs.” This last has been traditionally understood in a messianic sense. In any case, the passage aims at the supremacy of the tribe of Judah and of the Davidic dynasty.
  2. 49:11 In wine…the blood of grapes: Judah’s clothes are poetically pictured as soaked with grape juice from trampling in the wine press, the rich vintage of his land; cf. Is 63:2.

“Judah,[a](A) your brothers will praise you;
    your hand will be on the neck(B) of your enemies;
    your father’s sons will bow down to you.(C)
You are a lion’s(D) cub,(E) Judah;(F)
    you return from the prey,(G) my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
    like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,(H)
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[b]
until he to whom it belongs[c] shall come(I)
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his.(J)
11 He will tether his donkey(K) to a vine,
    his colt to the choicest branch;(L)
he will wash his garments in wine,
    his robes in the blood of grapes.(M)
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
    his teeth whiter than milk.[d](N)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
  2. Genesis 49:10 Or from his descendants
  3. Genesis 49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  4. Genesis 49:12 Or will be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk