crook can be transformed into a symbol of authority, changing his sheep's clothing into regal attire, making him someone all must obey, trusting he is better than us, his brothers born from the same seed, knowing he like us, battles the passions of our souls.
Simeon: As the scribe I am destined to be, my heirs can compose stories showing our father is wrong, transcribing his visions as delusions, as well as creating myths for skeptics to ponder and seeking reasons to punish prophets with different beliefs, but they may be instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, becoming like a householder, bringing out of his treasure things new and old, great things out of a small beginning.
Bystander: Skeptics' words are sustained only by human truths, here today and gone tomorrow, never having any eternal verities to sustain endurance, never any true vine to tether one's spirits, never following commands to untie souls, committed solely to people's my-selves, releasing nothing to nourish virtues, leaving any fruits to wither, as they respond only to the pride of their reason telling them I can do all things by myself, never needing an ass of ignorance, an unclean beast of imagination, never bound partnered to be shamed, humiliated like one required to call out unclean when venturing anywhere. Skeptics flee from being tethered to any true vine, shunning the Lord as a vinedresser.
Simeon: You can trust me, reporting God's hopes for His people, doing His will to faithfully protect His promises. I must confess we did not trust Him before, seizing his right for vengeance, exacting retribution by killing ones He created.
Bystander: You indeed washed creation's garments in blood, never giving them the chance to wash its clothes in wine, in the blood of grapes, after deceiving all this being done and defying God's prerogative to exact vengeance, knowing He proclaims to all, Vengeance is mine.
Simeon: By their blood they were cleansed, atoning them for their sin, purifying them with death, assuring they will sin no more. So be it for our enemies.
Bystander: People living in the light, as God is in the light, fellowshipping in His truths, loving brothers and sisters in the light, causing none to stumble, understand how to be cleansed of their sins, needing no periodic letting of blood to atone for their sins, never following ways taught by the world to forget the Father's love, His goodness in creating all. Soaking His creation with blood covers no unworthiness, excusing no human cravings, persisting for pleasures and pride in achievements.
Levi: Prophesying Judah heirs will have eyes darker suggests their eyes will be darkened by wine, but we know humans searching for truth may drown their spirits in wine. Is this his progeny's destiny for seeking truth?
Simeon: We will write on imbibing wine, beyond the point of revealing any new human insights on bringing slumber in drunkenness. And what of anyone having teeth white with milk? Will they always be babes who never mature to begin eating solid food, basking in ignorance, unable to digest human truths they encounter?
Jacob: You all have your own ways to understand my blessings. Hear another. Zebulun will dwell at the seashore, establishing a haven for ships, and his border will be at Sidon. Honored from his birth, his mother acknowledging him as someone special, naming him with a blessing, freeing him from things of the night, protecting him to remain in the light, assuring shipwrecks of darkness would never threaten him, Zebulun will become as a beacon beckoning to shipwrecked souls, bobbing about in life's heavy seas.
Levi: He will never amount to much, being one of the last, living near the edge, close yet far from other's lives, humbly in silence, ministering to their needs, never being remembered for anything. How can one such be blessed, seeming to never covet anything?
Jacob: Blessings often come for others to belittle, understanding them with ridicule, rationalizing less has been offered them. I have more to bless. Blessing Issachar, my son by Leah coming after Judah, requires me to take notice of his plans, recognizing he is a strong ass, crouching between the sheep folds, finding this resting place good, situated in land fertile and pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear weighty tasks, making him an enduring slave, forcing his labor, serving to gather fruits of good works, fulfilling his name meaning reward, deserved from walking virtue's ways, obeying God's commandments.
Reuben: Issachar never matured beyond his work ethic, never awakening his innate gifts to live by instinctive passion's impulses, content to remain on the farm and never be distracted by glowing city darkness, following no one ever tiring of diversions as their ongoing folly, as he will be led by rewards promised to abound in his fruited valley.
Jacob: For following this blessing, he must be a strong ass, no, better with a strong and clean soul, respected by God to be one of His own, following His wisdom, never turning to the right or left, following the way to righteousness. He will be rewarded, reaping deservings of his name, never desiring splendors enticing youth, shunning wealth sought by greed, always following his destiny, desiring good from the beginning, never tempted to covet evil, inherent in him before knowing how to call on his father or mother, never trusting unworthiness, choosing what is good, listening to the Lord, hearing Him show what is good, what He requires of us all, to love mercy and walk humbly with Him, cutting all free from ropes binding the ungodly.
Levi: Issachar's blessing shows his seed will also amount to nothing, bowing their shoulder, applying themselves to the plow, patiently accepting insults certain to come, ignoring any shame heaped on their toil, sowing their soil with good seed, planting fruitful trees with deep roots.
Jacob: It is usual for one to judge another's blessings and decide whether one's truth justifies it's deserving. Here is another for my sons to evaluate, asking each to discern whether appropriate. Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel, waiting as a serpent in the way, a viper beside the path, searching rider's horses to bite their heels, causing their riders to fall backward. I wait for thy salvation, O Lord, knowing your judgment will be more just than Dan's, committing You to be your creation's keeper.
Simeon: Should my scribes-to-be list many accomplishments for Dan, waiting for horsemen bearing dreaded evil, lies waiting to explode, attacking them bearing their words of lasting truths, toppling messengers of fragile and fleeting human beliefs?
Jacob: Dan, fleeing from confusion, must be like a serpent to destroy evil by evil, fighting fire with fire, trusting judges must rule this way, waiting in preparation for one's salvation. Dan will go last in his journeys, bringing up the rear, eating dust of others, shaken off from their boots, slithering through as the way of vipers.
Levi: If my heirs ever become judges, taking over where Dan might leave off, they would never use evil judgments to rule people, but I would ask Simeon's heirs to construct new edicts, permissive, permitting them to be upright, allowing them to live by their wishes, never enlisting serpents to vent retribution. We would show them how to win their salvation without upsetting tranquility developed by their truths. We won't need a serpent to insert a thorn for afflicting any one's flesh, distressing and removing them needlessly from their comfort.
Jacob: Moving on with my blessings, raiders will plunder Gad, but he will descend on their heels.
Levi: Gad will never understand these words you wrap in mystery. Are you saying he will be tempted and tried to the point of seeking vengeance and wreaking retribution?
Jacob: Trial will strain our heirs, testing them with tribulations, confronting perpetrators, striking at their heels. Be careful in judging another, should one come back to try you, thinking your wisdom can match theirs, asking by what authority do you judge, showing you must take care, fearing you could be silenced, tying your tongue, binding your scattered thoughts in silence, or entangling your ways of thinking so no response is possible. Blessed is He who enlarges Gad, protecting him from attacks by temptation, testing him little with trials, fencing off raiders stealing in to snatch his virtues.
Levi: I have memorized God's myriad laws, protecting me from temptations, and I bequeath this to my heirs. Striving for perfection, I know
I must travel a way strewn with temptations. Gad can look to me for help.
Jacob: Now consider the younger son of Leah's maidservant, Asher whose food shall be rich, prepared to provide royal dainties, fit for a king. Born to be blessed, given the name of being honored with God's richness, blessing him with bread from heaven, food designated to develop saintly ones, devoured by those destined to be swept up for eternal life.
Simeon: My heirs writing for all to know, will rarely ever mention Asher, his name falling through memory's cracks. How his food could be rich remains unknown, unless his heirs will be gluttons, surviving on their taste for delicacies.
Jacob: Asher's riches endows him with eternal truths, rewarding him with God's wisdom and knowledge, designating his beginning with nothing but a name, proclaiming an innate richness in a newborn's poverty, enlisting his penury to enrich others, an impoverishment dictating his life, enabling the fringe of his garment to heal, making his knowledge of eternal truths a rich treasure, promising rich sustenance as the only